West Bengal to refund 33,000 fans following Lionel Messi event mismanagement

West Bengal Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari has announced that the state government will initiate a refund process for approximately 33,000 fans who attended a Lionel Messi event in Kolkata. The event, held at Yuba Bharati Stadium on December 13, 2025, was marked by significant mismanagement and overcrowding, leading to widespread public demand for ticket reimbursements.

Tickets for the event were priced between 4,000 and 6,000 rupees. While the exact timeline for the payouts has not been finalized, the Chief Minister stated that the internal process to facilitate these refunds using the state sports budget has begun.

In addition to the refund announcement, Adhikari addressed broader sports infrastructure improvements during National Sports Day. He revealed a 400 crore rupee budget allocated for sports over an eight-month period and outlined plans to develop mini indoor stadiums across all 294 assembly constituencies, with a goal of constructing 100 stadiums this year.