On December 13, the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal will host an exhibition football match pitting global icon Lionel Messi and his handpicked XI against a spirited squad captained by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.
Billed as ‘RR9 vs. LM10,’ this friendly fixture, part spectacle, part statement, marks the Hyderabad leg of Messi’s ‘G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025,’ blending athletic prowess with the state’s bold vision for a future unbound by borders.
Revanth Reddy, the 56-year-old dynamo who stormed to power in late 2023 on a wave of youth empowerment, isn’t approaching the match as mere pageantry. Donning the No. 9 jersey for his ‘Team RR9,’ the former student union firebrand and lifelong football enthusiast has traded legislative chambers for training pitches, logging 45-minute daily drills that weave seamlessly into his marathon schedule of public rallies and policy summits.
‘Sport embodies Telangana’s pride,’ CM Revanth Reddy stated in a X post, his words a rallying cry for the ‘Telangana Rising 2047’ blueprint, a 22-year roadmap unveiled just days ago, aiming to catapult Hyderabad into the league of global metropolises like Seoul and Singapore through investments in sports infrastructure, youth academies, and economic corridors.
What elevates this encounter beyond a celebrity kickabout is its grassroots heartbeat. Flanking Revanth Reddy on the pitch will be a cadre of talented youngsters plucked from the state’s government schools, where football programs have surged under his administration’s ‘F.A.S.T.’ ethos – Fit, Assertive, Strategic, Tough. These aspiring stars, many hailing from underserved districts like Warangal and Nizamabad, would be transforming their playground dreams into professional pathways.
‘This isn’t about me facing Messi; it’s about our children touching the ball that legends like him have graced,’ CM Revanth Reddy shared during a sweat-drenched practice session on Monday, where he traded passes in an Arsenal kit borrowed for the occasion.
One young recruit, 14-year-old striker Aarav Kumar from a Hyderabad slum academy, beamed as he recounted his first touch in a mock scrimmage: ‘Sir said to play like it’s for our future, and now, with Messi watching, it feels exactly that.’
On the opposing flank, the 38-year-old Messi arrives as football’s eternal wizard, fresh from captaining Inter Miami to MLS glory and etching his name deeper into lore with Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph. This tour, his first Indian odyssey since a 2011 qualifier in Kolkata, kicks off earlier that same day at Salt Lake Stadium, where he’ll share the turf with Indian icons like Sourav Ganguly and Bhaichung Bhutia in a prelude exhibition.
Flying into Hyderabad by evening, Messi will lead ‘Team LM10’ in a lineup blending his international flair with local invitees, perhaps including ISL veterans or Bollywood enthusiasts. No stranger to high-stakes showpieces, Messi is viewing the event through a lens of inspiration – ‘India’s passion for the game reminds me why we play, to connect, to dream,’ he posted on Instagram, teasing clips of his signature dribbles that have already sparked a frenzy of fan edits across social media.
Yet, beneath the glamour, political undercurrents simmer. The match caps the Congress-led government’s two-year anniversary jamboree, a 13-day extravaganza from December 1 that critics, including BJP voices, decry as a ‘PR free kick’ funded by taxpayer rupees amid pressing issues like farmer distress and urban flooding.
Shiv Sena Reddy, Chairman of the Sports Authority of Telangana, emphasized the event’s projected economic windfall – an influx of tourists, global media spotlights, and potential Messi endorsement as ambassador for ‘Telangana Rising.’
Ticket sales via the District app have already topped 50,000, with premium seats fetching up to ₹5,000.