CM Revanth reddy plays football with students

1. 2,500-strong police deployment including TSSP, Octopus, Mounted Police, fire services, and bomb squads.
2. 450 CCTV cameras, Joint Control Room, scanners, and anti-sabotage checks ensure 24/7 surveillance.
3. Strict entry controls with QR-based tickets, banned items list, and dedicated SHE Teams for safety.
4. Traffic, medical, and crowd-control measures strengthened with added signage, parking management, and five ambulances.

Ahead of his friendly match with football legend Lionel Messi on December 13, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy played the game with a group of students of Woxsen University here Thursday night. The chief minister, wearing a jersey, played a practice match with the students at the university's football stadium, an official release said.

Reddy would play the friendly match with Messi when the latter visits Hyderabad as part of his 'GOAT Tour to India 2025'. The RGI Cricket Stadium at Uppal here would be the venue for the event.

"He (CM Revanth Reddy) plays a lot of football. You will definitely see him in action on the (December) 13th when he is going to play with one of my favourite players, Lionel Messi," former cricketer and state minister Mohammad Azharuddin said on December 8 during the Telangana Rising Global Summit organised by the state government.

Reddy, an avid football fan and player, had earlier played a practice match with a group of players at the MCRHRD Institute Ground here.

Tight security for Messi GOAT tour match

The Hyderabad City Police have put in place an unprecedented security and safety plan ahead of the MESSI GOAT TOUR – LIVE EVENT 2025, scheduled for 13 December 2025 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Uppal. The venue, which accommodates about 39,000 spectators, is expecting record footfall for the highly anticipated football match featuring global icon Lionel Messi.

To ensure a smooth and incident-free event, nearly 2,500 police personnel from multiple wings have been deployed. The arrangement includes 300 traffic police, 1,492 law and order personnel, 18 platoons of TSSP/AR, two Octopus teams, Mounted Police, two Vajra vehicles, and units from SB, CCS, SOT, along with four fire tenders equipped with firefighting squads. Gate No. 1 has been designated exclusively for players and VVIPs, while spectators will be routed through respective gates as per their tickets. A detailed evacuation plan is also in place for emergencies.

A total of 450 CCTV cameras have been installed across the stadium premises, including checkpoints and parking areas. A Joint Command & Control Room, managed by the ACP IT Cell, will monitor all feeds for real-time response. Anti-sabotage checks, bomb disposal teams, scanners, and sniffer dogs will operate round the clock. Every SI and above officer has been issued VHF sets to ensure quick communication. Spectators must produce valid app-based QR code tickets, each valid for single entry. Bar-coded physical passes will be issued only to authorized personnel.

Banned items include laptops, water bottles, cameras, cigarettes, lighters, umbrellas, perfumes, bags, sharp objects, and outside food. Mobile checking teams will be stationed at all gates, and SHE Teams will be present to prevent eve-teasing. Traffic management includes designated parking—primarily at IILA Grounds—and extensive signage across approach roads. Gates will open at 4:00 PM, three hours before kickoff. Medical preparedness has been enhanced with five ambulances on standby.