The internet exploded on Saturday as videos and pictures surfaced of the monumental meeting between Bollywood’s “King” Shah Rukh Khan and football’s “GOAT” Lionel Messi at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. The encounter, which brought together two of the world’s largest fan bases, marked a high point of the first leg of the ‘GOAT Tour India 2025’.
Shah Rukh Khan, accompanied by his son AbRam, was seen warmly greeting the World Cup-winning captain. A touching moment that instantly captured hearts online was Messi taking the time to click pictures with the young star kid, AbRam.
Social Media Erupts
The visuals from the stadium quickly went viral, with fans celebrating the ultimate crossover. Social media platforms were flooded with celebratory reactions:
- One user commented, “When Bollywood meets Football Royalty Shah Rukh Khan meets Lionel Messi — pure star power, one frame.”
- Another enthusiastically wrote, “The world’s biggest movie star Shah Rukh Khan meets the world’s biggest sports icon Lionel Messi in Kolkata. History written.”
- A third fan summed up the mood: “LEGENDARY MEETING Shah Rukh Khan & Messi together! King of Cinema meets Football’s GOAT.”
Messi’s Packed India Tour
The high-profile meeting took place during the Kolkata stop of Messi’s GOAT Tour India 2025, which runs from December 12 to 15 across four major cities. During the event at the Salt Lake Stadium, Messi also virtually unveiled his towering 70-foot statue erected in his honor at the Sree Bhumi Sporting Club in Lake Town, with Shah Rukh Khan and West Bengal Minister Sujit Bose present.
Shah Rukh Khan had previously teased the much-awaited meeting on X (formerly Twitter), posting: “This time round not planning my Knight in Kolkata…. and hoping the day Ride is completely ‘Messi’. See you guys on the 13th at the Salt Lake Stadium.”
Following his engagements in Kolkata, which also included the footballer meeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, Messi is scheduled to travel to Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi. The Mumbai leg, slated for December 14 at the Wankhede Stadium, is also expected to draw several Bollywood celebrities, with names like Kareena Kapoor Khan rumored to attend.