The highly anticipated meeting between two of the greatest athletes in history, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and football icon Lionel Messi, at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium during the GOAT India Tour 2025 on Sunday, instantly became a global talking point, with Tendulkar’s subsequent social media post breaking the internet.
The two men, both synonymous with the No. 10 jersey in their respective sports, shared the stage in an unprecedented moment that saw the long-standing rivalry between cricket and football fans momentarily suspended in awe.
Tendulkar, often revered as the ‘God of Cricket’, took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to share his excitement and commemorate the exchange, writing, “Must say, today was a 10/10 day Leo Messi 😉”
. The post, which quickly went viral, was accompanied by a picture of the two smiling legends shaking hands while standing next to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Messi’s Inter Miami teammates, Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul.
The message was a clever double entendre, referring not only to the perfect nature of the day but also to the fact that Tendulkar had just presented the Argentine star with his signed Team India ODI jersey bearing the number 10, a symbolic moment that perfectly captured the cross-sport GOAT-to-GOAT acknowledgement.
Messi reciprocated the gesture by gifting Tendulkar a football used in the 2022 World Cup. Speaking at the event, Tendulkar called the occasion a “golden moment for Mumbai, Mumbaikars, and India,” praising Messi’s humility and commitment.
The memorable meeting, which followed the chaotic Kolkata leg of the tour and a successful one in Hyderabad, was a resounding success in Mumbai, uniting fans under one roof to celebrate global sporting excellence.
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