Watching Argentine icon Lionel Messi play football with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and score an effortless goal has been a treat for GOAT fans in Hyderabad. But this friendly match has ignited a war of words. Sharing a video of the match, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju mocked Reddy for making the football star run around instead of giving him a simple pass.
"It's totally messed up !! CM Revanth Reddy Ji got a golden chance to play with GOAT but he couldn't even give simple pass to Messi. He kicked far left & right to make Messi run around," Rijiju wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
In the 20-second video, Reddy is seen passing the ball to Messi twice and both times the ball went either far left or right, instead of straight to the footballer, making him run around the ground.
The video, shared on Monday night, has grabbed people's attention and sparked reactions, with some coming out in support of Reddy, while others criticising Rijiju.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh used this as a chance to take a dig at West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee and remind people about the mess and chaos that unfolded at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium during Messi's visit.
"Mamta didi might've asked him to take revenge for the Kolkata mess," commented Singh.
"Pressure of playing with the GOAT is real. Even simple passes feel legendary when Messi's on the pitch!" wrote a social media user.
"No one else wore football, but he showed up match-ready. Sadly, the passes didn't match the outfit-otherwise the audience would've been cheering louder," commented another.
Revanth Reddy vs Lionel Messi
Revanth Reddy wore the number nine jersey, leading a specially curated side, Team RR9, against a team captained by Messi, who wore his iconic number 10.
What made Team RR9 unique and deeply symbolic is its composition. The chief minister played alongside selected young students from government schools who have demonstrated exceptional football talent.
Reddy, an ardent football enthusiast, was seen practicing hard after full day of official duties for a friendly exhibition match against Messi as part of the "G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025".
"The CM is aware of the global spotlight this match brings," an official coordinating the event had said. "While it's an exhibition, he wants to put up a respectable performance. His dedication, even after gruelling days of governance, highlights his commitment to the state's sporting vision."
