KOLKATA, India (AP) — Lionel Messi’s much-hyped tour of India got off to a rocky start Saturday with angry fans throwing bottles and attempting to vandalize a stadium after many of them failed to get more than just a glimpse of their hero.
The Times of India reported that many ticket-holders said that they failed to see Messi at all — either in person or on the stadium’s big screens — despite waiting for hours.
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EDS NOTE: OBSCENITY - Indian fans gesture in protest after failing to get a glimpse of Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi at the Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
A fan rides a goal post as he protests with others after failing to get a glimpse of Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi at the Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
Indian fans vandalize stadium chairs as they run on to the field after failing to get a glimpse of Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi at the Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi, center, arrives at the Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
Indian fans vandalize stadium chairs as they run on to the field after failing to get a glimpse of Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi at the Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee apologized to the Argentine soccer star for the “mismanagement” of the event.
“I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium,” Banerjee wrote on social media, where she also apologized to fans who had expected more after paying for tickets.
Banerjee said a committee would be constituted to “conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.”
Irate fans – many of whom wore Messi Argentina shirts – threw seats from the stands, then forced their way past security fences onto the field and attempted to cause more damage before overwhelmed security personnel chased them away. Messi had already left.
Messi’s three-day “GOAT India Tour” was to bring the World Cup winner from Kolkata to Hyderabad and then Mumbai before concluding in New Delhi on Monday. He was joined by longtime teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul.
Earlier Saturday, Messi remotely “unveiled” a 21-meter (70-foot) statue of himself in Kolkata.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
EDS NOTE: OBSCENITY - Indian fans gesture in protest after failing to get a glimpse of Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi at the Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
A fan rides a goal post as he protests with others after failing to get a glimpse of Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi at the Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
Indian fans vandalize stadium chairs as they run on to the field after failing to get a glimpse of Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi at the Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi, center, arrives at the Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
Indian fans vandalize stadium chairs as they run on to the field after failing to get a glimpse of Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi at the Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
SHANGHAI (AP) — George Russell of Mercedes held off a strong challenge from Ferrari to win Saturday's sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix, continuing his early dominance in a new and different season of Formula 1.
Charles Leclerc was second with his Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton taking third.
Russell won the first race of the season in Australia last weekend, and he followed up taking the 19-lap sprint in China. Later Saturday, he aims to make it three pole positions from three attempts in qualifying for Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix..
As last week in Australia, the Ferraris were fast off the line and Russell and Hamilton swapped the lead several times on the first few laps. But Russell began to pull away after the early laps with Hamilton fading as the constant battles took a toll on his tires.
“Lewis did an amazing job in the in the early laps,” Russell said. “He caught me off guard — 20 years of experience. So I've still got a bit to learn.”
“It was pretty fun in the end,” Russell added. “A lot of strategy in play and overtakes. It’s not easy. I hope it was fun race to watch. Usually the sprint races are pretty boring.”
Hamilton received loud applause from the Shanghai crowd when he began his on-track interview by saying “Nǐ hǎo" — hello in Chinese.
“That speed (of Mercedes) on the straight is just a little bit too much at the moment,” said Hamilton, who won last year's sprint in China for his only victory since joining Ferrari. "I think I put up a good fight.”
Hamilton and Leclerc couldn't renew their challenge late in the race after a safety car period for Audi's Nico Hulkenberg stopping on track.
Lando Norris was fourth for McLaren and Russell's teammate Kimi Antonelli fifth after serving a penalty for an early collision with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar.
Formula 1 has made massive engine and chassis changes for this season — the most radical in over a decade — that feature a 50-50 split between internal combustion and electric power.
Russell is one of the new era's biggest cheerleaders and said Saturday's sprint battle felt “like go-kart racing in the past ... I don’t ever remember Formula 1 being like that, where you can have three or four cars all fighting for the same position truly on track."
Drivers have struggled to handle the trade-off between using power and conserving it, and some have struggled with extra power coming in unexpectedly.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen is no fan of the changes and finished ninth in the sprint race.
“Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong,” Verstappen said. “We just need to get our stuff together.”
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Second place Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco after the Sprint Race of the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit, in Shanghai, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Winner Mercedes driver George Russell, right, of Britain talks with third placer Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain after the Sprint Race of the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit, in Shanghai, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar of France steers his car during the Sprint Race of the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit, in Shanghai, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Cadillac driver Sergio Perez of Mexico steers his car during the Sprint Race of the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit, in Shanghai, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Mercedes driver George Russell, left, of Britain leads the pack during the Sprint Race of the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit, in Shanghai, China, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
