Jay Shah greets Lionel Messi, others for G.O.A.T. India Tour in Delhi, presents him India jersey

The chairperson of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Jay Shah met the likes of star footballers Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on December 15. Shah was one of the few esteemed dignitaries invited to meet Messi & Co. at the venue in what was the trio’s fourth and final venue to wrap up the GOAT India Tour.

In a truly grand spectacle at the Arun Jaitley, Shah presented Messi with a bat encased in glass, which was signed by members of the 2024 T20 World Cup-winning Indian team, which the side had won under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma. Shah, also the ex-BCCI secretary also presented the three South American footballers with Indian jerseys with identical jersey numbers printed at the back of them.

Check photos Jay Shah meeting Lionel Messi here

For the unversed, Messi was in Mumbai on December 14. The epic meet with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar was met with immaculate applause by one and all present at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in the City of Dreams. Sachin’s picture with Messi while the Indian great offered his India jersey has been going viral on social media, and fans of both the legends of their respective sports have been showering their love on the duo.

Messi and the rest visited the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata and the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on the opening day of the tour. According to several social media comments and opinions, the event in Mumbai was perceived to be the best in terms of the time spent by the footballers at the venue as well as the logistical arrangements by various stakeholders concerned with the event.

Speaking of Messi, the legendary footballer is considered amongst the greatest to have ever graced the sport. He has won multiple high-profile titles with his stint at FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami over the years in club leagues. The peak achievement of his career came with Argentina, when he led his nation to emerge as the winners of the FIFA World Cup in 2022, adding the final feather to his cap.