London-based Malayali singer Charles Antony, who performs in 18 languages, including Bengali, travelled specially to India to deliver a once-in-a-lifetime musical tribute to football icon Lionel Messi during his visit to Kolkata on December 13, 2025. Antony had personally composed a special Spanish song to welcome Messi at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) event. What was intended as a joyous celebration, however, descended into chaos, forcing the singer to run for his life as crowd control completely collapsed amid thousands of disappointed fans.

The event, organized by Satadru Dutta (now arrested), drew massive crowds—estimated at nearly one lakh people—many of whom had paid between ₹4,000 and ₹12,000 for tickets, with some reportedly spending up to ₹20,000 in the black market. Fans, many travelling from states like Meghalaya, Assam, and Bengaluru, became agitated after failing to catch even a glimpse of Messi, Luis Suárez, and Rodrigo De Paul. Antony, positioned on the running track near the gallery, described seeing water bottles, food packets, stones, and metal objects hurled from the stands, with equipment nearly damaged and panic spreading rapidly.

“I ran to save my life,” Antony recounted to PTI, recalling how he barely saw Messi smile uncomfortably before the situation deteriorated. As VVIPs were escorted out through an underground exit and former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly left the stadium, angry spectators stormed the ground. Police instructed Antony to run to safety, advising him to head toward the center of the pitch to avoid objects thrown from the galleries. With his access tag still around his neck, he felt vulnerable as some mistook him for an organizer, putting his life at further risk.

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Grabbing his guitar, cables, mouth organs, and vocal processors, Antony fled the venue on foot back to his hotel, later shifting to another for safety. He noted the stark contrast with his previous experience performing in the presence of Diego Maradona during the legend’s 2016 visit to Kolkata, which he described as perfectly managed and joyful. Despite the ordeal, Antony managed to perform a couple of songs earlier in the event, making him the first Indian singer to have performed with Maradona and for Messi. He emphasized that he received no remuneration, with organizers only covering travel and accommodation costs.

Antony expressed sympathy for the heartbroken fans who came from far and wide only to leave disappointed and in tears. While he refrained from solely blaming organizer Satadru Dutta, whom he said tried to manage the crowd but appeared helpless as the situation spiraled out of control—possibly exacerbated by some VVIPs taking selfies—the singer described the day as a painful memory. What should have been a celebration of football turned into a fight for survival, leaving him with a mix of gratitude for surviving unharmed and sorrow over the chaos that marred Messi’s Kolkata appearance.

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