ADVERTISEMENTHowever, last Saturday, several people around Messi at the stadium tried to touch and hug him before taking pictures, Dutta told the SIT. “Upset, Messi left within 20 minutes of his arrival, even though it was meant to be an hour-and-a-half-long event,” said the officer. Almost everyone said that Messi was not visible because of a group of people who surrounded him on the field. Dutta told investigators that he had initially made arrangements for around 150 ‘close-proximity’ passes for those who would be on the field with Messi when he entered the Salt Lake Stadium. The number of such passes had to be increased manifold due to pressure from influential personalities, Dutta told the investigators.

Source: The Telegraph December 21, 2025 02:15 UTC