Lionel Messi’s brief and chaotic appearance in Kolkata was not merely a case of crowd impatience or celebrity excess. It was a revealing moment about how India, and Bengal in particular, increasingly showcases global icons ~ with spectacle taking precedence over substance, and access over accountability. Kolkata is not a casual football city. Its relationship with the game runs deeper than marketing campaigns or fan zones, shaped by generations of club loyalties and packed derby days where passion, though intense, is also disciplined by familiarity. That is precisely why the anger at Salt Lake Stadium deserves to be understood, not dismissed.

What unfolded was less a riot of entitlement than a collapse of trust between organisers and an audience that felt misled. Thousands arrived believing they would see Messi in some meaningful way ~ perhaps a short exhibition, perhaps even a clear view unmediated by barricades of power. What they........

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