Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday thanked Argentine football icon Lionel Messi, and his Inter Miami teammates, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, for enthralling sports lovers, especially youth, during the second leg of Messi's GOAT India Tour 2025 here.
Messi's programme in Hyderabad on Saturday evening ended on a positive note thanks to thorough preparations, sound planning, and discipline.
Here's what Revanth Reddy said
"I wholeheartedly thank G.O.A.T Lionel #Messi … football greats Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, for accepting our invitation and gracing our city of #Hyderabad and enthralling all our sports lovers, especially youth. We are deeply grateful to our leader Shri @RahulGandhi ji for joining us and making the evening a memory of a lifetime", Reddy said in a post 'X'.
Reddy also thanked and congratulated all officers, security personnel, organisers and staff on duty across the city for ensuring Telangana was able to showcase to the world that “Telangana means sports, Telangana means excellence, and Telangana means hospitality”.
On behalf of the government, the Telangana CM further thanked all sports lovers and fans for their best conduct and disciplined manner in which “we played hosts to our guests”.
The celebrated Argentine footballer mesmerised the Hyderabad crowd at a nearly-packed Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium as he showed off some of the skills that made him one of the greatest ever to play the sport.
Messi, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul took part in a GOAT Cup penalty shootout, with Reddy also turning up in football attire, and conducted football clinics with children before leaving the stadium. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined the visiting trio of players and Reddy at the felicitation towards the end of the event.
In a video posted by Congress' official X account, Messi was seen kicking the ball into the crowd, with Telangana CM also doing the same.
Messi was also seen interacting with Rahul, marking another major crossover between Argentine football and Indian politics.
After visits to Kolkata and Hyderabad, Messi will grace Mumbai with his presence on Sunday.
During his time in India, under-14 young football players from across the state will be selected by the Maharashtra Sports Department, and they will get the opportunity to practise with Messi on Sunday.
Delhi will be Messi's final pit stop for the 'GOAT Tour 2025' on Monday.
In September, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis confirmed Messi's visit to India, the first since 2011.
(With inputs from agencies)
