Shah Rukh Khan confirms appearance in Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium on December 13 for Lionel Messi’s GOAT Tour

"This time round not planning my Knight in Kolkata…. and hoping the day Ride is completely ‘Messi’. See you guys on the 13th at the Salt Lake Stadium," Shah Rukh posted on X.

Shah Rukh Khan confirmed an appearance in the Salt Lake Stadium on December 13 for Lionel Messi's GOAT Tour. (AP/ Express Archive)

Bollywood superstar and Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan on Thursday confirmed his appearance in Salt lake Stadium for Lionel Messi’s GOAT Tour, scheduled to kick start from Kolkata on December 13. “This time round not planning my Knight in Kolkata…. and hoping the day Ride is completely ‘Messi’. See you guys on the 13th at the Salt Lake Stadium,” Shah Rukh posted on X.

Argentine star Messi will begin his 4-city GOAT Tour from the City of Joy on December 13 and will on the same day travel to Hyderabad. He’ll then go to Mumbai on December 14 before ending the highly-anticipated tour in Delhi on December 15, where he is scheduled to meet Prime minister Narendra Modi.

In the Kolkata leg, the unveiling of Messi’s “biggest ever statue” — a 70-feet structure — will be done virtually from his team hotel owing to security concerns, according to PTI. “Police has not given permission so he will do it from the hotel. It will be done virtually in the morning,” a Kolkata Police source said as per PTI.

This time round not planning my Knight in Kolkata…. and hoping the day Ride is completely ‘Messi’.
See you guys on the 13th at the Salt Lake Stadium.

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) December 11, 2025

Earlier, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was scheduled to visit Sreebhumi in person for the inauguration. Kolkata Police sources confirmed Messi will land in the city at 1.30am in the wee hours of Saturday and will stay at a five-star hotel on the EM Bypass.

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A sponsor-exclusive meet-and-greet programme will run from 9.30am to 10.30am. A special Argentine–Indian fusion food festival will be held on the sidelines, keeping in mind Messi’s love for ‘mate’ (Argentine herbal tea).

It will showcase Argentine herbal tea infused with Assam flavours, along with a spread of Bengali fish delicacies — including hilsa — and an assortment of local sweets.

A 25ft x 20ft Messi mural, planned for the upcoming Durga Puja season, will also be unveiled.

“Not only will he unveil his biggest-ever statue, we will have a huge mural, which will be kept at strategic Durga Puja pandal-hopping locations so that all his fans will have an opportunity to paint and post messages in a nearby message box,” organizer Satadru Dutta said to PTI.

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The mural will be presented to Messi at the Salt Lake Stadium during the Kolkata leg of the tour.

A crowd of more than 70,000 is expected for the Kolakta event.

“75,000 seats are open for spectators. There is heavy demand and we have made counter sales open from Tuesday,” Dutta said.

After the meet-and-greet, Messi will proceed to Salt Lake Stadium before departing for Hyderabad at 2pm.

(With agency inputs)