Legendary Argentine footballer Lionel Messi completed his GOAT India tour by visiting Vantara, a wildlife rescue and conservation centre founded by Anant Ambani in Gujarat's Jamnagar. One of the biggest highlights from Messi’s visit to Vantara was the time he spent playing football with Maneklal, the baby elephant.
The clip of the same has been going viral all over social media, where Messi was seen kicking the ball inside the elephant enclosure as Maneklal nudged the ball with his leg as well.
Vantara hosted the trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Rodrigo de Paul. Anant Ambani and his wife, Radhika Merchant, personally welcomed the stars as they made their visit. The trio was welcomed in grand style with folk music and a ceremonial aarti as well.
Furthermore, as a token of gratitude, Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant also named a lion cub ‘Lionel’ after the legendary forward. In a clip shared across social media, Messi was seen interacting with a variety of animals present at Vantara, including tigers, lions and reptiles.
Lionel Messi also offered prayers at Vantara
Furthermore, apart from his interaction with the animals at Vantara, Messi, Suarez, and De Paul were also captured offering their prayers at a temple inside the venue.
He also visited the green energy complex and the world's largest refinery complex, where he was left in awe of the scale of operations and the vision behind it. He embarked on a guided tour of Vantara’s expansive conservation ecosystem, which is home to a variety of animals.
With his visit to the venue, the 38-year-old completed his GOAT India tour, where he visited Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, and Jamnagar as well. He met up with several celebrities and politicians and interacted with a number of fans as part of his memorable India tour.
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