Lionel Messi in hearts as Emiliano Martinez mania kicks off in Kolkata

Kolkata, July 4

Lionel Messi was not there, but Emiliano Martinez was. Still, Messi dominated the discourse on a Tuesday afternoon reserved for Martinez, who was glad to play ball.

As one of Messi’s most trusted lieutenants during Argentina’s triumphant campaign in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Martinez didn’t mind the interest, the curiosity around his iconic teammate’s future in the sport, and decided to go with the flow on the second day of his visit to the football-mad city.

Earlier in the day, he was felicitated by Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. ‘Dibu’, as he is fondly called, was overwhelmed by the welcome he received from thousands of fans sporting the Albiceleste colours and Messi’s No. 10 jersey. “To see so many people cheering for you, and Argentina is a joy,” he said.

With cheers of ‘Messi, Messi’ reverberating across the stands, the 30-year-old Martinez made a promise to bring Messi to Kolkata. “This is not the end, I hope to come back to India to play with Argentina and Messi,” he said, as cheers rang around.