Messi fever grips Kolkata as Argentine soccer magician returns after 14 years

Fourteen years after his memorable trip to this eastern metropolis, where he wore the Argentine national team captain's armband for the first time, soccer magician Lionel Messi returns to the city on Saturday, amidst heightened security, and palpable euphoria.

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However, on the flip side, the38-year-old Messi’ whirlwind half day visit, the first leg of his four-city "GOAT India Tour’, comes at a time of gripping uncertainty for Indian football, capped by the plummeting performance of its national side. A question mark hangs over the holding of the top flight tourney — the fancied Indian Super League — while the national men's side has dropped six places to the 142nd slot in the FIFA rankings this month.

However, on the morrow, all this is likely to take a back seat, as Kolkata — the soccer crazy city of cricket-mad India — is all set to roll out the red carpet for one of its favoured stars whose private jet is set to land in the city airport a little after Friday-Saturday midnight from Miami (via Dubai). Some of Messi's Inter Miami teammates are also accompanying him.