Kolkata, Dec 13: Lionel Messi’s brief visit to Kolkata descended into chaos on Saturday morning as angry fans broke security protocols after failing to catch even a glimpse of the global football icon during his blink-and-miss 22-minute appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium.

What was meant to be a red-letter day for football lovers in the City of Joy quickly turned into a nightmare, with “less of Messi” and more of what many described as a “royal mess”, as disorder erupted inside the packed stadium.

Moments after Messi emerged from the tunnel, the situation spiralled out of control. The programme was cut short amid growing unrest, leaving Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, former India captain Sourav Ganguly and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee—who had arrived for the event—unable to parti

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