
Lionel Messi's India tour to begin in Kolkata on December 12
Dutta met Messi's father earlier this year to present the proposal, and on February 28, Messi himself met him at his residence for a 45-minute discussion.
'I explained the plan and what we wanted to do. He seemed convinced it was worth it and committed to coming,' Dutta said.
Messi's entourage may also include Inter Miami teammates Rodrigo De Paul, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets among others but Dutta refused to divulge any name.
Messi's visit will feature masterclass with children in each city, aimed at inspiring the next generation of Indian footballers.
He will land in Kolkata on the night of December 12 and spend two days and one night in his longest stop on the tour.
His December 13 schedule begins with a meet-and-greet in the morning, which will also feature a special food and tea festival.
'He's a lover of mate (Argentine herbal tea), so I am doing a fusion of Argentine and Indian Assam tea. This will be an extra addition, to be held on the sidelines of the meet-and-greet event on December 13 morning at his hotel (Taj Bengal).
'All Bengali fish, including hilsa, and sweet delicacies will be there on the platter for the food festival,' Dutta revealed.
The day's highlight will be the unveiling of Messi's statue, followed by the 'GOAT Concert' and 'GOAT Cup' at either Eden Gardens or Salt Lake Stadium.
Another addition of the tour is the unveiling of his mural during the upcoming Durga Puja where fans can 'post messages and draw something.'
'Not only will he unveil his biggest-ever statue, we will have a huge mural (dimensions of 25 feet height and 20 feet width) for him, which will be kept at strategic Durga Puja pandal-hopping locations so that all his fans will have an opportunity to paint and post messages in a nearby message box. That mural will be presented to Messi when he's inside the stadium for the GOAT Concert,' Dutta said.
He added that two-three possible mural locations have been shortlisted and awaits police clearance.
Salt Lake Stadium is also under consideration as a backup venue for the Kolkata concert which is originally planned at Eden Gardens.
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