Messi in Delhi: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta booed; fans outraged over bird droppings at Arun Jaitley Stadium

And it's a wrap for the GOAT India Tour! Football superstar Lionel Messi's final meet-and-greet in India concluded with a lap of honor in New Delhi, where thousands of fans gathered at the Arun Jaitley Stadium to catch a glimpse of their idol.

Messi was greeted by roaring chants at the nearly packed stadium—usually home to cricket—as fans dressed in Argentina jerseys waved flags and shouted his name. Despite hazardous air pollution levels, supporters queued up in large numbers to see the football icon.

The Delhi leg marked a smooth conclusion to Messi's India tour, following a chaotic opening day in Kolkata on Saturday, where his brief appearance reportedly left fans frustrated, leading to vandalism at the venue.

Several videos and photos have since gone viral, showing Messi smiling and waving at the crowd. However, the mood briefly shifted when Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta took the stage to greet him. At that moment, sections of the crowd stopped cheering and began chanting "AQI, AQI," highlighting concerns over the city's air quality.

Amid the mixed reactions, Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul won hearts with a touching gesture during the Delhi event. A viral video shows De Paul gently pushing aside a bodyguard to help a young footballer get a photo with the stars during the photo-op.

Fans boo at Delhi CM

According to AQI.in, Delhi's air quality index stood at a hazardous 414, raising serious health concerns. Beyond air quality issues, several photos and videos circulating on social media highlighted poor arrangements at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

An X user shared footage of seats covered in bird droppings, while others pointed out torn seating, calling the situation disheartening for one of India's most iconic cricket venues.

Seats damaged and had bird poop

Fans criticised the stadium management and called out DDCA president Rohan Jaitley, especially with the venue set to host matches during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

A user wrote, "Tickets for Messi event Rs.10,000 and this is the condition of Arun Jaitley stadium managed by DDCA & BCCI. Is this how we will host Common Wealth Games with 800 AQI and Bird shit coated seats?"

Messi stayed at the stadium for about 30 minutes. ICC chairperson Jay Shah felicitated Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul with custom India jerseys, a signed bat, and an invitation to attend the India vs USA group-stage match at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

The trio also tossed footballs into the stands for fans, interacted with young players during a dribbling session, and spent time with children from the Minerva Academy, bringing the GOAT India Tour to a memorable close.

Delhi fans remembered Virat Kohli and chanted his name as and when Messi arrived. It was widely reported that Virat and Anushka would meet Messi in Delhi today, but they couldn't meet. 

It was also said that PM Modi would greet Mesi, but that too got cancelled. Nonetheless, Virat's fans honoured him by chanting his name.

Rodrigo De Paul Pushes Aside a Security Guard To Help Young Boy Get Photo

It so happened that guests and a few children had lined up for a photo session. Seeing a young boy struggling and being left behind during the photo-op, Rodrigo De Paul gently pushed aside a security guard to make way for the child, allowing him to join the session. The boy looked visibly excited and was all smiles as he finally got his photo taken.