Ronaldo And Messi Miss Trips To India In Latest Blow For Nation’s Football Fans

In September 1977 an Indian astrologer predicted that Pelé would autumn sick successful Kolkata and beryllium incapable to return nan transportation for Santos successful an accumulation against Mohun Bagan. In nan extremity nan Brazilian did really play to nan delight of 60,000 fans but almost half a period later, location was possibly moreover much excitement, pinch Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi group to look connected nan subcontinent successful nan abstraction of a month. This time, though, immoderate doomsayer would beryllium correct. Ronaldo didn’t travel successful October and Messi will not successful November.

Without getting into that debate, Ronaldo’s absence is much achy simply because he was owed to play successful a competitory fixture, by immoderate region nan biggest sanction ever to look successful a existent crippled connected Indian soil. August’s tie for nan AFC Champions League Two put Al-Nassr successful nan aforesaid group arsenic FC Goa, wherever nan edifice for nan visitors reserved nan statesmanlike suite for nan five-time Ballon d’Or victor for nan 22 October game.

“To big Al-Nassr isn’t conscionable astir a lucifer – it’s arguably nan biggest crippled successful Indian nine shot history,” nan Goa CEO, Ravi Puskur, told nan Guardian successful August. “It’s nan culmination of years of difficult activity and dedication to increasing nan crippled successful Goa. Our fans, our players, and everyone progressive pinch nan nine get to acquisition thing extraordinary, thing that will beryllium remembered for generations.”

Goa’s coach, Manolo Márquez, remarked astatine nan pre-match convention that usually location were 1 aliases 2 journalists. This clip location were adjacent to 100 applications from various media. There was immense request for tickets too. About 11,000 had been sold pinch thousands of others going successful what was described arsenic a “craze for complimentary passes”. On gameday itself, nan stadium’s VIP conception was, according to nan Times of India, “overcrowded pinch relatives and friends of ‘people successful power’ forcing their measurement and occupying seats, without tickets”. In nan end, they saw Goa springiness a awesome relationship of themselves earlier losing 2-1 to a squad that featured stars specified arsenic Sadio Mané and João Félix.

Imagine what would person happened if Ronaldo had really travel to India? Maybe it was ever unlikely, nan 40-year-old has yet to play successful immoderate of nan 3 group shape games truthful acold successful Asia. The erstwhile Real Madrid man is focused alternatively connected nan Saudi Pro League wherever Al-Nassr person won their first six games of nan season, meaning that a first title since 2019 looks possible.

Young Messi fans pinch posters and T-shirts of their idol successful Kolkata. Photograph: Hindustan Times/Getty Images

So far, he hasn’t been needed successful Asia. Three wins from 3 pinch players specified arsenic Félix, Mané, Marcelo Brozovic and Kingsley Coman meaning nan Yellows would beryllium nan favourites to triumph nan AFC Champions League Elite, ne'er mind nan continent’s 2nd tier tournament. Al-Nassr did not respond to a petition to remark connected Ronaldo not travelling but sources adjacent to nan nine opportunity nan Portuguese superstar is improbable to characteristic astatine each successful nan group stage. That whitethorn alteration later successful nan tourney arsenic nan subordinate has yet to triumph a awesome trophy since arriving successful Riyadh almost 3 years ago. The league, though, remains nan privilege for nan nine and, for nan subordinate location is, of course, a 5th World Cup adjacent summer.

That nan forward, now connected 950 profession goals, has to limit his minutes was still sad for each those connected to FC Goa. “Of course, we each would person enjoyed if Ronaldo had travel and arsenic a footballer, you ever want to play against nan greats of each time, but erstwhile nan crippled starts, I deliberation it becomes much of a communicative to show later, that I played against Ronaldo,” nan FC Goa captain, Sandesh Jhingan, told nan Times of India.

There was then, conscionable 2 days later, much heartbreak arsenic it became clear that Messi would not play successful nan state for nan first clip since 2011. There was a friends provisionally arranged betwixt Australia and Argentina for nan 17 November successful nan confederate authorities of Kerala, and nan section authorities successful nan football-loving authorities and its commercialized partner had been trying to finalise nan lucifer for months but pinch Fifa’s support not forthcoming, a connection from nan Argentinian FA past Friday made it clear that nan world champions were not going to India. The organisers, who have, according to reports, already made a costs to Argentina, dream to reschedule but whether it tin beryllium fresh successful earlier nan World Cup remains to beryllium seen.

It each adds to what is simply a difficult clip for shot connected nan subcontinent. The 2025-26 Indian Super League play should person kicked disconnected successful September but owed to contractual and ineligible wrangles clubs are still waiting to cognize erstwhile it will start. The men’s nationalist team, which played astatine nan 2019 and 2023 Asian Cups, are retired of nan moving for 2027, aft defeats against Hong Kong and Singapore, who person a mixed organization of 13 million, little than 1% of India’s.

You don’t request to beryllium an astrologer to spot that nan stars are not aligned good successful Indian shot astatine nan moment. Ronaldo and Messi would not person changed that, but a fewer different headlines would person been welcome.