Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 09:26am on 23 Dec 2025,Tuesday India Global
London-based singer Charles Antony, who flew to India to perform a special Spanish song for Lionel Messi at Kolkata's December 13 event, "ran to save my life" amid chaos at Salt Lake Stadium. Positioned near galleries, Antony witnessed water bottles, stones, and metal objects hurled at Messi, Suárez, and De Paul as angry fans who paid ₹4,000-₹20,000 rioted after barely glimpsing their idol. With his access tag making him a target, police advised fleeing to safety as crowds stormed the ground. Antony grabbed equipment and ran to his hotel, later relocating for safety. Unlike 2016's well-managed Maradona event, this descended into "mobocracy," leaving fans from Meghalaya, Assam, and Bengaluru heartbroken. (PC: PTI)
