Revanth scores perfect political goal as Messi mesmerises Hyderabad

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy scored what many in political circles believe a perfect political goal, as global football icon Lionel Messi watched on, alongside his boss and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, the man who once placed his full political faith in Revanth.

On the surface, it was a football spectacle in Hyderabad on Saturday evening (December 13, 2025). Beneath it, however, was a carefully calibrated political statement. By bringing Messi to Hyderabad and engaging him on the pitch and off it for over five hours, the Chief Minister projected Hyderabad as a safe, mature and truly global city, capable of hosting world-class events with discipline and dignity.

This was not merely a match where Messi casually rolled the ball and thrilled the crowd, but an also an event in which Mr. Revanth Reddy positioned himself as the organiser-in-chief and a decisive go-getter, comfortably occupying centre stage. The positivity spiralled at a time when violence in Kolkata had cast a shadow on such public events.

As Rahul Gandhi looked on, Mr. Reddy ensured that he shared the spotlight with his boss reinforcing his emergence as the Congress party’s most visible and confident chief ministers.

The image of a sitting Chief Minister stepping onto the pitch and playing a friendly game with arguably the greatest footballer of all time would have been unthinkable in Indian politics not long ago. Yet, Mr. Reddy turned the improbable into a spectacle, inside the stadium and beyond it.

The stakes were undeniably high. Any security lapse or organisational failure could have left a lasting black mark, not only on Telangana’s global image but also on Mr. Reddy personally. Political rivals would have seized upon any failure.

Much of the credit for the seamless execution went to Rohin Reddy, a close aide of the Chief Minister, and Parvathi Reddy, the event organiser, who ensured the smooth flow of the programme. Equally crucial was the role of DGP Shivdhar Reddy, whose meticulous security planning reassured both participants and spectators in the process enhancing Hyderabad’s reputation as a secure global destination.

A touch of intrigue

One moment that caught the nation’s imagination came on the stage, when Rahul Gandhi and Lionel Messi were seen in an animated conversation. Curious crowd wondered about the language in which they were engaged in a conversation. According to sources close to the organisers, the two conversed in Spanish. “Even we couldn’t understand what they were talking about, but it was clearly a foreign language,” an officer quipped, adding a touch of intrigue to the evening.