Messi to Play Cricket In India: In what may be one of the more surreal sporting sights of the year, Lionel Messi could trade his iconic No. 10 jersey for cricket whites at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium this December.
Messi to Play Cricket In India With Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, And More
The Argentine maestro, 38, is expected to participate in a seven-a-side cricket exhibition match on December 14 as part of a short promotional tour of India, which will also include visits to New Delhi and Kolkata. The event is still in the planning phase, but discussions are underway to secure the Wankhede for the date, and several marquee names are reportedly being courted to take the field.
Among them: MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Sachin Tendulkar, a cricketing pantheon to match Messi’s own lofty stature in world football.
“Messi will be at Wankhede Stadium on December 14,” confirmed a senior official from the Mumbai Cricket Association. “He is likely to play a cricket match, too, with former and current cricketers. The organisers will come up with a complete schedule once everything is finalised.”
Messi was initially expected to visit India with Argentina’s national team, amid early negotiations to host a friendly in Kerala in October. However, those plans have since been shelved.
That return was initially expected to be with Argentina’s national team, amid early negotiations to host a friendly in Kerala in October. However, those plans have since been shelved.
For Messi, currently on contract with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, the cricket cameo would form part of a broader commercial campaign, and an inter-sport spectacle India rarely sees. Whether he bowls off-spin or shadow bats like a left-handed Tendulkar is secondary. The symbolism alone, a global football icon sharing the field with cricketing legends, is likely to make the event a calendar highlight.
Messi remains focused on his final World Cup push in 2026, but for a day in December, he may be lacing up for something rather different: not El Clásico, but a festive, if frivolous, face-off under the Mumbai lights.
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