Peaceful Conclusion to Lionel Messi's Visit to India After Disorder in Kolkata

Football superstar Lionel Messi has finished his multi-day India tour in hazy Delhi, following a turbulent opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, thousands of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentina and Inter Miami striker.

As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – booting balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd roared his name.

His aircraft from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, reports stated, and his schedule had to be shortened. On Saturday, angry fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his event there.

A Packed Schedule Spanning Several Metropolises

Messi had a hectic schedule in India, taking part in a series of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the early hours of Saturday.

Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually revealed a massive statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India.

Chaotic Beginning in Soccer-Mad Kolkata

The tour, however, started with a troubled start after angry fans ripped up seats and flung items towards the pitch at the stadium.

Football is extremely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and a multitude of devoted supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.

However, most of them were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation became tense.

"Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, poor coordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "released their frustration by engaging in violence."

The disturbance, which made international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been called a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.

The event organiser in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.

Peaceful Engagements in Other Cities

Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the global icon on social media and in press interactions.

Messi also had meetings with several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

In between these interactions, Messi could be seen waving to large fan gatherings in stadiums and juggling the ball with groups of children.

There were rumors earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister traveled abroad on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Reason of Messi's Great Fame in India

Messi's popularity is due to more than his lengthy international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that millions of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.