Lionel Messi has surprised everyone. In the middle of negotiations to renew his contract with Inter Miami, which ends next December 31, the Argentine star has made a "turnaround" in his career. The news comes from India, where it has been revealed that the "10" could switch sports, even if only for a day, leaving soccer to play cricket.
New sport for Messi
"Indian Express" has announced that, if everything goes as planned, Leo Messi will play a seven-a-side cricket match next December 14. Right now, "work is being done" to finalize the logistics of this unexpected match, which would feature famous players such as Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma, among others.
A well-known event agency has asked the Mumbai Cricket Association to reserve Wankhede Stadium for December 14. On this date, Leo Messi is scheduled to visit the city as part of a promotional tour in India.
The idea is that, as part of this tour, Leo Messi will swap the soccer ball for a cricket bat and play a friendly match with stars of this sport. He will be in India from December 13 to 15, with plans to also visit the cities of New Delhi and Kolkata.
Leo Messi, heading to India
This won't be the first time the "10" packs his bags for India. This will be his second visit, the first having taken place 14 years ago. He was part of an international friendly between Argentina and Venezuela, played in the city of Kolkata in 2011.
Some time ago, it was announced that Leo Messi would play another match with Argentina in India, during next October. However, the agreement was "put on hold" and little else is known about it, with a second match planned in Kerala.
So far, this move by Messi hasn't been made official, although everything is planned for him to play a cricket match in December. A major performance from the Argentine star isn't expected, as he has little knowledge of this sport. It's clear that this will be an image that will generate a lot of discussion, as he has never made an appearance of this kind before. Many people compare this to when Michael Jordan switched to professional baseball, but with the "10" in a much smaller role.