Lionel Messi could trade his football boots for cricket spikes in a blockbuster exhibition match alongside India’s biggest cricketing icons.
Come this December, the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai might witness an unprecedented spectacle — not a World Cup final, nor an IPL thriller, but Lionel Messi walking out to bat.
Yes, you read that right.
If all goes according to plan, the Argentine football legend will headline a seven-a-side cricket match on December 14, where he could line up against the likes of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and possibly even Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma.
According to sources within the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), an event agency has requested the iconic Wankhede to be blocked on that date as part of Messi’s promotional tour of India. While the full schedule is yet to be confirmed, the MCA has indicated that plans are indeed underway for a special exhibition match involving Messi and a host of Indian cricketing royalty.
“Messi will be at Wankhede Stadium on December 14. He is likely to play a cricket match, too, with former and current cricketers. The organisers will come up with a complete schedule once everything is finalised,” an MCA source told The Indian Express.
A Star-Studded Visit
Messi’s India trip is expected to span December 13 to 15, with stops in Mumbai, New Delhi, and Kolkata. This will mark his second visit to India — the first being in 2011 when he captained Argentina in a friendly against Venezuela at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium.
Earlier this year, there were rumours that the Argentina national team, including Messi, might play a friendly in India in October. Kerala’s Sports Minister, V Abdurahiman, had announced that the state government was in discussions with the Argentina Football Association (AFA) to host two matches involving La Albiceleste. However, those plans appear to be on hold for now.
Cricket Meets Football
Should the December match materialise, it would be a rare moment of crossover between the world’s two biggest sports. Fans could witness Virat Kohli steaming in to bowl to Lionel Messi, or MS Dhoni setting the field as the football icon tries to clear the boundary.
Messi, now 38 years old, plays for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS), but his brand power remains unmatched globally — making his potential appearance on a cricket field in India a marketing dream and a fan’s fantasy.
The final confirmation is still pending, but December 14 is already being marked on calendars — not just in football-mad Argentina, but in cricket-crazy India.
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