Salt Lake, Kolkata is about to feel like Buenos Aires meets Miami.
Between 9 and 13 December, the Argentina Football Fans Club of Kolkata is turning Aikatan, a cultural hub just a short walk from Salt Lake Stadium, into a full-blown Messi fan zone, drenched in Argentina’s blue and white.
The project is driven by father-son duo Uttam and Pragnan Saha, lifelong followers of Argentine football. They’re recreating a slice of Messi’s Miami home in Kolkata complete with replica trophies and a giant screen rolling his greatest goals.
Inside, the space is designed like a mini-museum: Champions League titles, La Liga shields, Copa America and World Cup trophies, Ballon d’Ors, Golden Boots, and even a ceiling covered with 896 footballs, each representing a Messi goal. At the centre sits a massive LED wall and a specially built ‘Messi throne’.
Messi lands in India for the GOAT Tour from 13 to 15 December, covering Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. The tour also features Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul.
Messi’s Kolkata schedule is packed: arriving around 1:30 am, he begins engagements by 9:30 am, meets Sourav Ganguly and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, appears at fan events.
But in Kolkata, the heart of the celebration is simple: Hola Messi -- a fan-made shrine to the man who means everything.
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