₹1 crore handshakes, fortress security: Inside Lionel Messi’s tightly guarded Delhi visit

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Lionel Messi lands in Delhi for a tightly guarded visit featuring luxury stays, VIP meetings, and corporate meet-and-greets reportedly costing up to ₹1 crore.

<span class='webrupee'>₹</span>1 crore handshakes, fortress security: Inside Lionel Messi’s tightly guarded Delhi visit

₹1 crore handshakes, fortress security: Inside Lionel Messi’s tightly guarded Delhi visit(AFP)

Lionel Messi is arriving in Delhi today and the city has been operating on a different frequency since morning. The Argentina World Cup–winning captain’s visit is short, but nothing about it is low-key. From security arrangements to hotel bookings, the plan is tight, controlled and expensive. Messi and his entourage will check in at The Leela Palace in Chanakyapuri, where an entire floor has been blocked off exclusively for them.

The Argentine delegation is staying in the hotel’s Presidential Suites, with room tariffs ranging from around ₹3.5 lakh to ₹7 lakh per night. Hotel staff have reportedly been instructed not to discuss the stay.

Fortress Leela and heavy security

The drive from the airport to the hotel will take about 30 minutes, but the surroundings of the Leela Palace look nothing like a routine hotel drop. Following scenes during Messi’s previous appearances in India, security has been significantly scaled up. The area has effectively been turned into a high-security zone, with limited access points and heavy police presence.

Multiple layers of checks are in place and movement around the property is tightly regulated. For most onlookers, this will be a Messi visit seen only from a distance.

₹1 crore for a closed-door meeting

One of the most talked-about elements of the visit is a closed-door meet-and-greet scheduled at the hotel. This interaction is strictly limited to select corporate heads and VIP guests. According to NDTV, access has come at a steep price, with some corporates reportedly paying up to ₹1 crore for a brief opportunity to meet the football icon. There is no public interaction planned here. Phones are expected to stay away.

Meetings, stadium stop and a quick exit

During his stay, Messi is also scheduled to meet the Chief Justice of India, several parliamentarians, and a select group of Indian sporting figures, including cricketers and medal-winning athletes from the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The football star is expected to visit the Arun Jaitley Stadium for a football clinic and limited interactions, before heading to Purana Qila for a special Adidas-hosted event. At the Old Fort, he is supposed to meet Indian sports champions, including Rohit Sharma, Sumit Antil, Nikhat Zareen and Nishad Kumar.

Messi is expected to leave for the airport around 6:15 PM and depart India by 8:00 PM. Messi’s Delhi stop follows his recent visit to Mumbai, where his presence triggered similar scenes of heightened security and controlled access.