Argentine football star Lionel Messi concluded his India tour with a ultra-luxury watch gifted by billionaire heir Anant Ambani, which costs just slightly less than his $1.7 million monthly salary at Inter Miami.

 

Anant, who founded the Vantara wildlife conservation and rehabilitation centre, hosted Messi at the facility and gave him a tour showcasing the organisation's animal welfare initiatives. The footballer also met a lion cub named “Lionel” in his honour and played football with Maniklal, a baby elephant, in a moment that went viral on social media.

 

Eagle-eyed social media users quickly noticed that Messi arrived at the centre without a watch but later appeared sporting a rare Richard Mille timepiece.

 

Indian media reported that Anant gifted Messi the watch during the visit, identifying it as the Richard Mille RM 003-V2 GMT Tourbillon "Asia Edition" – one of only 12 pieces made globally.

 

The gift's value represents a significant sum, though it falls short of Messi's monthly earnings. Data released by the MLS Players Association shows the Inter Miami forward takes home a total of $20.45 million per year, or approximately $1.7 million per month.

 

Earlier, Messi's three-day GOAT India Tour took him across Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi, marking his first trip to the country in 14 years. He travelled with Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez and Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul.

 

The tour began chaotically at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium on Dec 13 when fans threw objects, ripped up seats and invaded the pitch. Enraged supporters vandalised the stadium after the Argentine soccer great made only a brief appearance at a ticketed event. Tickets ranged from around $38.65 to $130, with the lower prices exceeding half of the average weekly income in India.

 

In Hyderabad, Messi participated in an exhibition football match featuring the state's chief minister, Revanth Reddy, and met Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

 

At Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, Messi shared a special moment with Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri, presenting him with a signed Argentina jersey. 

 

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar presented Messi with a Team India jersey during the event.

 

His final appearance at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium went smoothly as he greeted chanting supporters. During the Delhi visit, ICC Chairman Jay Shah presented Messi and his teammates with Indian cricket team jerseys and tickets to the upcoming T20 World Cup India-USA match.