Telangana CM Revanth Reddy to Play Football Match With Messi in Hyderabad!

In a landmark moment for Indian sports fans, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is likely to play a football match with global icon Lionel Messi on December 13 at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal. The event is part of Messi’s highly anticipated ‘G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025’.

Announcing the news on social media, CM Revanth wrote,
“I look forward to welcoming and hosting G.O.A.T. Lionel Messi in Hyderabad on December 13. It is an exciting moment for our city and for every football fan who has dreamt of seeing a legend like you on our soil. Hyderabad is ready to host him with warmth, pride and the spirit that defines our people.”

Hyderabad was added to Messi’s tour schedule after Ahmedabad was dropped, a move that underscores the city’s growing global stature. The tour will kick off in Kolkata at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium on the morning of December 13. Messi is expected to fly to Hyderabad that evening for the second leg of celebrations.

Sources indicate that select students from government schools will get the rare opportunity to play alongside the Chief Minister during the match.

This announcement comes nearly three months after the Congress-led Telangana government unveiled its new sports policy in August 2025. As part of this policy, CM Revanth had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider Hyderabad as a host city for the 2036 Olympics, should India win the bid.

The new sports policy also proposes a 14-member Board of Governors to manage the Telangana Sports Development Fund (TSDF). The board includes some of India’s most respected sports personalities — Kapil Dev, Abhinav Bindra, Pullela Gopichand, Bhaichung Bhutia and Sanjeev Goenka—ensuring transparent and effective utilisation of sports resources in the state.