Former Indian cricket captain and prominent sports administrator Sourav Ganguly has initiated strong legal action in the wake of the ongoing fallout from the Lionel Messi controversy in India. Ganguly has filed a defamation lawsuit seeking Rs 50 crore in damages and has also lodged a formal police complaint against an official of a football fan club.
Legal Action and Police Complaint
The legal proceedings target Uttam Saha, an official associated with the 'Argentina Football Fan Club'. According to reports, Ganguly submitted the police complaint on Thursday, 18 December 2025. The swift move to both the courts and the police underscores the seriousness with which Ganguly is treating the alleged defamatory statements made in the public domain.
While the exact content of the statements that prompted this severe response has not been detailed in the initial reports, it is directly linked to the public discourse and criticism following the much-publicized 'Messi fiasco'. The incident refers to the controversy surrounding Argentine football legend Lionel Messi's scheduled and cancelled events during a visit to the region, which sparked widespread disappointment and anger among fans and officials alike.
Context of the Controversy
The fallout from the Messi episode has been significant, touching various stakeholders in Indian sports. As a key figure in sports administration, having served as the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and currently involved in other sporting capacities, Sourav Ganguly found himself drawn into the ensuing debate. The comments made by the fan club official are believed to have personally targeted Ganguly's role or actions in the context of this controversy.
The decision to seek Rs 50 crore in damages is a substantial one, indicating that the legal team perceives the comments as highly damaging to Ganguly's reputation. Defamation suits of this magnitude are relatively rare in cases involving sports personalities and fan interactions, highlighting the escalated nature of the dispute.
Potential Repercussions and Next Steps
This dual-pronged approach—a civil suit for compensation and a criminal police complaint—places significant legal pressure on the accused official. The police complaint could lead to an investigation under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to defamation and intentional insult. The civil suit will proceed separately in the courts, where Ganguly's legal representatives will need to prove that the statements were false, malicious, and caused reputational harm warranting the claimed damages.
The development adds a new, serious legal dimension to the ongoing narrative surrounding the Messi visit controversy. It signals a shift from public criticism to formal legal recourse, setting a precedent for how high-profile sports administrators might respond to personal attacks in the future. The sports community and legal observers will be watching closely as the case progresses, with the next steps likely involving court hearings and the police's investigative findings.
