The political landscape of West Bengal has witnessed a seismic shift with counting trends for the Assembly Elections indicating a historic breakthrough for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, May 4. The BJP is crossing the halfway mark with leads in more than 170 seats and looks set to end the 15-year rule of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC). But as the “lotus” blooms across the state, social media has been abuzz with a strange and stingy trend linking the political “change of guard” with none other than football legend Lionel Messi.
TMC is losing Bengal and 1 of the major causes of this is Lionel Messi
You can’t change my mind 😶✌️
Lionel Messinath winning Bengal election for BJP pic.twitter.com/SydLOMr957— Pratik (@___Pratik_____) May 4, 2026
The ‘Messi Jinx’: A Socio-Political Coincidence?
Netizens and political analysts are pointing toward a fascinating anecdotal pattern dubbed the “Messi Effect.”
TMC leaders made Leo Messi uncomfortable during his visit to Salt Lake Stadium.
Now they’re paying the price.Never mess with dictator Messi https://t.co/xSmJ5ncl86 pic.twitter.com/XZ4QspsH1j
— Vaibhav Hatwal ◟̽◞̽ 🤧 (@vaibhav_hatwal) May 4, 2026
- 2011: Messi first visited Kolkata for an international friendly. That same year, Mamata Banerjee rose to power, ending the 34-year rule of the Left Front.
- 2025-2026: Messi returned to Kolkata in December 2025 as part of his GOAT India Tour. Just months later, the TMC appears to be facing a similar exit from power.
Memes are flooding in on X (formerly Twitter) with captions such as “Messi Hai Toh Mumkin Hai”, insinuating that the Argentine maestro is a harbinger of political transformation every time he touches down in the City of Joy.
Dhurandhar Leo Messi after what happened in Kolkata on 13th December last year.pic.twitter.com/CBGqQzZk9N
— Mayank (@Cules651) May 4, 2026
Meme Fest: TMC Bashed for ‘GOAT Tour’ Fiasco
Much of the “bashing” online is down to the mismanagement of Messi’s visit to the Salt Lake Stadium in late 2025. What was meant to be a crowning achievement for the TMC government turned into a “global embarrassment.”
The one who changed the future of West Bengal and India🐐🐐🐐Leo Andrés Messi👑 pic.twitter.com/En52WAg1Qg
— VeryHarshGuyfcb (@OYEHARSH007) May 4, 2026
- The VIP Hijack: Messi’s appearance lasted barely 20 minutes and fans were outraged. Footage showed the World Cup winner soaking up selfies with local politicians and “VIPs” while thousands of fans who paid upwards of ₹5,000 in the stands were left without a clear glimpse.
- The Chaos: The event ended in vandalism, with angry supporters smashing chairs and tearing down banners. Organiser Satadru Datta was detained in the fallout.
BJP agent Messi kicked off the downfall of Didi pic.twitter.com/vtuYHCtHXc
— Gabbar (@GabbbarSingh) May 4, 2026
Those same fans are using the election results to settle the score today. Memes are circulating showing Messi “laughing” at the election figures with captions suggesting the “disrespect” shown by local leaders to the emotional fans and the football icon was the turning point for public opinion.
This Was The Moment which started Downfall for TMC
Thank You Messi 😭❤️😚 https://t.co/1TVseDoBSv pic.twitter.com/lDyeq6X6jL
— Indian Billa 🇮🇳 #ViniOut (@aakash__163) May 4, 2026
BJP’s Breakthrough In West Bengal
The data provides the gravity, while the memes provide the humour. The BJP’s inroads into traditional TMC strongholds like Presidency and Medinipur is a sign of a massive change in the electorate. Supporters are calling the victory a “masterclass” in political manoeuvring.While the last of the certificates are being put together, the story in Bengal is self-evident: the people have spoken and spoken loudly, in a way that even the “GOAT” would find hard to ignore, between a failed football tour and a high-stakes election.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
