Telangana CM thanks Messi for enthralling sports lovers in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Dec 14 (PTI) Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday thanked Argentine football icon Lionel Messi, and his Inter Miami teammates, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, for enthralling sports lovers, especially youth, during the second leg of Messi's GOAT India Tour 2025 here.

Messi's programme in Hyderabad on Saturday evening ended on a positive note thanks to thorough preparations, sound planning, and discipline.

"I wholeheartedly thank G.O.A.T Lionel #Messi … football greats Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, for accepting our invitation and gracing our city of #Hyderabad and enthralling all our sports lovers, especially youth. We are deeply grateful to our leader Shri @RahulGandhi ji for joining us and making the evening a memory of a lifetime", Reddy said in a post 'X'.

Reddy also thanked and congratulated all officers, security personnel, organisers and staff on duty across the city for ensuring Telangana was able to showcase to the world that "Telangana means sports, Telangana means excellence, and Telangana means hospitality".

On behalf of the government, the Telangana CM further thanked all sports lovers and fans for their best conduct and disciplined manner in which "we played hosts to our guests".

The celebrated Argentine footballer mesmerised the Hyderabad crowd at a nearly-packed Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium as he showed off some of the skills that made him one of the greatest ever to play the sport.

Messi, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul took part in a GOAT Cup penalty shootout, with Reddy also turning up in football attire, and conducted football clinics with children before leaving the stadium.

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined the visiting trio of players and Reddy at the felicitation towards the end of the event. PTI VVK GDK VVK ADB