KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who received a jersey signed by Argentine football star Lionel Messi, described him as an "artist with the ball."
Banerjee said the jersey symbolises the unbreakable connection between Bengal and the beautiful game.
"Football is a passion that runs through my veins, much like every person in Bengal who has ever kicked a ball on the 'para' fields. Today, that passion found a special place as I received a jersey signed by none other than Lionel Messi," the CM said in a post on X on Wednesday night.
"The love for football binds us all, and Messi, an artist with the ball, a maestro of our times, embodies the spirit of brilliance that Bengal admires. This jersey is a symbol of the unbreakable connection between Bengal and the beautiful game," she added.