Kolkata: Kolkata arguably is the home of Indian football. And the FIFA friendly between Argentina and Venezuela at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan that stars Lionel Messi and a host of others will put it beyond any doubt on Friday.
Argentina have come with a star-studded squad which includes the likes of Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Angel Di Maria and Javier Mascherano to name a few but there is absolutely no doubt that Messi is the biggest attraction.
To say that Messi mania has taken over the city will be a gross understatement. But two things are absolutely clear - one that Messi's legacy will eclipse that of Pele and Maradona, both of whom have come to this city earlier, and that this FIFA friendly - arguably the biggest footballing event in India ever - has the potential to give Indian football a never-seen-before push.
Several great players like Pele, Roger Milla, Gerd Mueller, Diego Forlan and Diego Maradona have come to Kolkata to either play exhibition matches or promote events, but Messi mania will outshine and outlive any of the others' legacy.
There's no doubt that Pele and Maradona are the two players who have had the biggest impact on Kolkata in the past. The New York Cosmos-Mohun Bagan friendly match in 1977 gave the Kolkatans the chance to see Pele in action. But it must be remembered that Pele was already towards the end of his career and that he had already retired from international football by then.
Maradona visited the city much later in 2008, long after his playing days were over. Despite that, the Salt Lake Stadium attracted a full house. But Kolkata did not see the footballing god in action. Maradon's visit was a celebration of the older generation of fans who had seen him score the 'The hand of god' goal in the 1986 World Cup.
And this is where Messi's arrival in Kolkata is so different from the other legends. He is here to play. And not just an exhibition game, but a match which also carries points which determine FIFA rankings.
Messi has often been targetted for not showing the same form for Argentina as he does for his club Barcelona, but with the captain's armband the 24-year-old knows that only he can pull Argentina back into the league after a poor Coma America outing. And it doesn't get better than playing Venezueala, who finished fourth in that tournament and will also play Argentina in the World Cup qualifiers in November. One can only wonder what could have been the scenario had Venezuela gone that extra mile to lift the Copa America title.
The benefits of this match are not limited to the watching spectators alone. The arrival of the two top teams has ensured that the Salt Lake Stadium has got a much-needed renovation with even a new playing turf in place.
The social impact of the game though is unimaginable. The growing footballing fan base is sure to swell thanks to this game and it might bring in more sponsors to the game as well.
But on Friday, it's going to be all about Lionel Messi. On Friday, Indian football fans will be divided into two groups forever - those who watched him play, and those who didn't. Where do you belong?
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