‘See you on the 13th’: SRK gears up for ‘completely Messi’ opening of India tour

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan will meet football legend Lionel Messi at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium on December 13, in what promises to be one of the most anticipated celebrity encounters of the year.

Khan, who co-owns the Kolkata Knight Riders cricket team, confirmed his attendance on December 11 through a post on X. "This time round not planning my Knight in Kolkata.... and hoping the day Ride is completely 'Messi'. See you guys on the 13th at the Salt Lake Stadium," he wrote.

The meeting will take place during Messi's whirlwind visit to Kolkata, the first stop of his three-day India tour. The World Cup winner is scheduled to land in the city at 1:30 am on December 13 after travelling from Miami.

Messi's packed Kolkata schedule begins with meetings at 9:30 am and includes interactions with former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, before he departs for Hyderabad at 2 pm.

The convergence of two global icons—one from Bollywood and the other from world football—has generated significant excitement among fans of both sports and cinema.

Following his Kolkata engagements, Messi will travel to Hyderabad for a football clinic with young players, where he will be joined by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul. Parvathi Reddy, chief patron and adviser of The Goat Tour Hyderabad, said: "It is mainly focused on the football clinic that Messi is going to have."

The Hyderabad programme will feature a 7v7 exhibition match at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, with Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy expected to attend.

The tour continues in Mumbai on December 14 before concluding in New Delhi on December 15.