₹1 crore for a handshake! Messi mania draws Delhi elite
What's the story
Lionel Messi, the Argentine football legend and eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, is set to grace New Delhi on Monday (December 15). Messi and his entourage were expected to land at 10:45am, but weather conditions delayed the flight from Mumbai. They will head straight to The Leela Palace at Chanakyapuri, where an entire floor has been booked for their stay. According to reports, VIP guests and corporates are willing to pay a whopping ₹1 crore for a brief meeting with Messi.
Accommodation details
Messi's stay at The Leela Palace
Messi and his team will be staying in the hotel's Presidential Suites, which reportedly cost between ₹3.5 lakh and ₹7 lakh per night. The hotel staff has been instructed not to disseminate any information about Messi's stay. After the chaos witnessed during his first day in India at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, security has been tightened around Messi's hotel and other places he will visit.
High demand
VIPs paying ₹1 crore to meet Messi
According to an NDTV report, many VIPs are willing to pay as much as ₹1 crore for a chance to meet Messi, showing his immense popularity among his Indian fans. During his first two days in India, he visited Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, where he met several VIPs, including politicians, Bollywood stars, and cricket icons Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh.
Official meetings
Delhi itinerary includes meetings with top officials
In Delhi, Messi's schedule includes meetings with the Chief Justice of India (CJI), several Members of Parliament, and a group of India's top sporting personalities. This also includes eminent cricketers as well as Olympic and Paralympic medal winners. After these meetings, he will visit Arun Jaitley Stadium for a football stint. He is expected to have some interactions there as well.
Special event
Messi to attend exclusive Adidas event
Later, Messi will head to Purana Qila. At the Adidas event, he is expected to meet former Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma, Paralympic gold medalist Sumit Antil, boxing world champion Nikhat Zareen, and Olympic high-jump medalist Nishad Kumar. He will leave for the airport around 6:15pm and depart from India at 8:00pm, concluding his second tour of India on a high note.