West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday apologised to football icon Lionel Messi and thousands of fans after his much-anticipated event in Kolkata descended into chaos due to serious crowd mismanagement. The incident took place at the Vivekananda Yuvabharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) during Messi’s India promotional visit as part of his “GOAT Tour.”

Messi’s appearance, which drew massive crowds of ticket-holding supporters, ended abruptly after just around 10 minutes, triggering anger and unrest among fans. Thousands had gathered at the stadium expecting interactive activities, but the event was cut short amid security concerns, forcing Messi to leave under heavy escort.

According to reports, the situation deteriorated soon after Messi’s arrival when large numbers of unauthorised individuals, including celebrities, politicians, and officials, gained access to the pitch area. This led to a breach of security protocols and made the environment unsafe for the footballer. Amid loud chants of “Messi, Messi,” the Argentine star briefly waved to the crowd before being escorted out as organisers cancelled all planned activities.

As news spread that Messi had left the stadium, frustration among fans turned into open anger. Supporters stormed barricades, booed politicians whom they accused of monopolising access to the footballer, and vandalised sponsor banners. Bottles were thrown onto the field, chairs were damaged, and sections of the stadium descended into disorder. Videos circulating on social media showed fans breaching gates and chaos unfolding inside the venue, drawing comparisons to past crowd-related incidents at Eden Gardens.

Organisers made repeated public address announcements urging fans to remain calm, but these warnings proved ineffective. Many attendees said they had waited for hours without getting a proper view of Messi, despite having valid tickets.

Fans expressed disappointment over several unfulfilled promises made ahead of the event. Many said they were expecting special interactions, including possible penalty kicks by Messi and the appearance of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan. Several attendees described the event as poorly organised, saying it wasted both their money and emotions. While no major injuries were reported, the incident severely dented what was projected as a historic football moment in India.

Following the backlash, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued an official statement expressing regret over the incident. She said she was deeply disturbed by the mismanagement and apologised to both Lionel Messi and the fans. Banerjee also revealed that she was on her way to the stadium to attend the event and interact with Messi, but her visit had to be cancelled due to the situation.

“I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium. I was on my way to the stadium to attend the event along with thousands of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite footballer, Lionel Messi,” Banerjee said in her statement. “I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident,” she added.

To ensure accountability, the Chief Minister announced the formation of an enquiry committee to investigate the incident in detail. The committee will be chaired by retired Justice Ashim Kumar Ray, with the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home and Hill Affairs Department as members. “The committee will conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future,” Banerjee said. “Once again, I extend my heartfelt apologies to all sports lovers.”

The incident has sparked widespread criticism of event planning and crowd control measures, with fans and observers calling for stricter security protocols and better coordination for large-scale international events. The enquiry committee’s findings are expected to play a key role in determining accountability and restoring public confidence in future sporting events hosted in the state.