Web desk: Argentine football legend Lionel Messi wrapped up his much-talked-about India tour with a visit to Vantara, a wildlife conservation and rehabilitation centre founded by Anant Ambani.
A video shared on Vantara’s official Instagram account showed Anant Ambani personally guiding Messi around the facility.
According to the post, Anant explained Vantara’s mission. He talked about animal welfare, care, and long-term conservation.
However, what caught public attention was not the tour but the watch Messi was seen wearing. Social media users noticed that Messi arrived at Vantara without a watch.
Anant Ambani gifts Lionel Messi rare Richard Mille
Later, he was spotted wearing a rare and expensive timepiece. Reports by NDTV claimed that Anant Ambani gifted Messi a Richard Mille watch during the visit.
The watch was identified as the Richard Mille RM 003 V2 GMT Tourbillon Asia Edition.
Only 12 pieces of this model exist worldwide. Its estimated value is around 1.1 million dollars.
The watch is worth slightly less than Messi’s monthly salary at Inter Miami.
According to data released by the MLS Players Association, Messi earns about 20.45 million dollars per year.
🇮🇳⌚️ During his visit to India, Lionel Messi received an ultra-rare Richard Mille RM 003 V2 “Asia Edition” as a gift from Anant Ambani.
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) December 16, 2025
This watch is one of Richard Mille’s early and most iconic models, which estimated market value is $1.1 million. pic.twitter.com/r4r1lZYG2K
Messi leaves event in India
Previously, World-famous footballer Lionel Messi visited Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, but was forced to leave within minutes after poor planning and crowd mismanagement led to chaos among fans.
Messi’s India tour began on a chaotic note on December 13 at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium.
Fans threw objects, damaged seats, and entered the pitch after the football star made only a brief appearance at a ticketed event.
Several fans expressed anger as ticket prices ranged from nearly 39 dollars to over 130 dollars. Many said they paid a large portion of their weekly income to attend the event.
Messi was scheduled for a 45-minute visit to the stadium, but his appearance lasted just 20 minutes.
Videos circulating online show fans ripping out stadium seats and throwing them onto the pitch and athletics track. Several people were also seen climbing over fences and hurling objects onto the field.
Messi Meetup in India, Complete mismanagement in Kolkata Stadium. #MessiInIndia pic.twitter.com/r8XAnqCslV
— World Monitor (@MonitorWarnow) December 13, 2025
