Delhi’s worsening air quality cast a shadow over Lionel Messi’s farewell appearance in India, as a section of the crowd at the Arun Jaitley Stadium voiced its anger at the political leadership even while welcoming the global football icon. As Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stepped onto the stage on Monday to receive Messi during the final leg of the GOAT India Tour, chants of “AQI, AQI” rang out from parts of the stands. The reaction came amid hazardous pollution levels in the national capital, with the Air Quality Index touching 498 in the morning before easing slightly to 427 by evening, remaining in the ‘severe’ category for the third consecutive day. Visibility across the city dropped sharply, with a thick haze obscuring the skyline. The chants contrasted sharply with the celebratory atmosphere inside the stadium, where nearly 25,000 fans had gathered to catch a glimpse of Messi. The Delhi leg marked the conclusion of a tour that had begun chaotically in Kolkata but ended on a more organised note in the capital. Spectators packed the stands, many wearing Argentina’s blue and white jersey with the iconic No. 10, while celebrities and dignitaries watched from inside the ground. Messi, speaking briefly in Spanish, thanked the crowd for the affection shown throughout his India visit. He described the experience as intense but unforgettable, saying the love he received exceeded expectations and promising that he would return to India someday, possibly to play a match. After arriving at the stadium, Messi walked around the field smiling, watched the 7×7 celebrity match conclude, and waved repeatedly to the crowd. Alongside Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, he kicked footballs into the stands during a lap of honour and later felicitated the Minerva Academy football team. The reception was notably freer than in Kolkata, where heavy security and political entourages had limited fan interaction. The tightly scripted 30-minute programme revolved largely around Messi. He was joined on stage by Rekha Gupta, ICC chairman Jay Shah, DDCA president Rohan Jaitley and former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia towards the end of the event. While Messi mania dominated the evening, the chants inside the stadium underlined a growing public frustration over Delhi’s air crisis, turning a celebratory sporting moment into a pointed reminder of the capital’s ongoing environmental emergency.
