What was meant to be a historic moment for Indian football turned into a chaotic spectacle — and has now snowballed into a legal battle involving one of Indian cricket’s biggest names.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has filed a ₹50 crore (approx. US$ 5.6m) defamation lawsuit against Uttam Saha, president of the Argentina Football Fan Club of Kolkata, after Saha publicly linked Ganguly to the mismanaged Lionel Messi event at Kolkata’s Yuva Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium).
According to a report by India Today, the defamation suit and police complaint stem from Saha’s repeated public claims that Ganguly acted as a middleman behind the scenes of the Messi tour, and not just a guest attending the event.
Ganguly pushes back against ‘baseless’ allegations
In his legal complaint, Ganguly has firmly rejected the accusations, calling them reputationally damaging and completely unfounded.
“False, malicious, offensive, and defamatory remarks,” Ganguly stated in his legal complaint, describing Saha’s public comments.
“Serious allegations are being made publicly without any factual basis,” he further noted in the same complaint.
A police officer involved in the case reiterated the same concern, saying, “The complaint states that he deliberately leveled serious allegations against Ganguly without any factual basis.”
The legal notice filed at Lalbazar Police Headquarters also emphasized that Saha’s statements had harmed Ganguly’s mental peace and professional standing.
Legal and public fallout from Messi’s visit
The incident itself occurred on December 13, when Messi appeared briefly at the Kolkata stadium during a heavily publicized tour. Mismanagement, overcrowding, and restricted fan access led to unrest, with angry spectators vandalizing property after being unable to properly see the football legend.
Although Ganguly was present at the stadium, reports confirm he was in a different section and left the venue after the situation began to spiral. He was initially scheduled to join dignitaries, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, to honour Messi and his entourage on stage — a plan that was ultimately scrapped due to the crowd unrest.
In addition to the legal filing, Ganguly personally confirmed further action to PTI.
“Besides the police complaint, I have sent this official of the football fan club a ₹50 crore (approx. US$ 5.6m) legal notice. They keep saying anything that comes to their mind,” Ganguly said, speaking to PTI.
A reputational defense for one of India’s most respected athletes
The defamation suit marks one of the highest-profile legal responses following the Messi event, which sparked a national conversation about event security, VIP culture, and the credibility of organizers involved in hosting global icons.
The former Indian cricketer and captain and current president of the Cricket Association of Bengal emphasized in his complaint that his decades-long sporting and administrative career has earned him national and international respect — and that the recent statements are a targeted attempt to undermine that.
