India, Aug. 16 -- In one of the most eagerly-anticipated moments of the year for Indian football fans, four cities across the country will get the chance to welcome Lionel Messi to their homes this winter. There are no two ways about it: when it comes to sport, Messi is a god-like figure, with nobody inspiring quite as much awe as the little Argentinian.

So how is it that he was convinced to visit India for a taxing four city tour in the twilight of his career, 14 years on from the first time he visited? Kolkata-based sports promoter Satadru Dutta, responsible for this set of exhibitions, had a fairly simple reasoning: getting good reviews of India into the ears of Leo Messi.

Messi's teammates Emiliano Martinez, who helped lift the 2022...