Calm Finish to Lionel Messi's Visit to India Following Unrest in Kolkata

Football superstar Lionel Messi has concluded his multi-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, following a chaotic opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, countless fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentinian and Inter Miami striker.

As Messi, joined by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd roared his name.

His plane from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, sources reported, and his itinerary had to be trimmed. On Saturday, frustrated fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his event there.

A Busy Agenda Across Multiple Cities

Messi had a hectic schedule in India, participating in a string of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the pre-dawn of Saturday.

Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely unveiled a 21-meter statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the city in eastern India.

Troubled Beginning in Football-Loving Kolkata

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

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

However, the majority didn't even get to see him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation grew violent.

"Poor management of a much-publicized event, disorganization" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence."

The disturbance, which made international headlines, cast a shadow over 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 arrested, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.

Smooth Engagements in Hyderabad and Mumbai

Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the global icon on social media and in media interviews.

Messi also had meetings with several politicians and celebrities – film actor 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 acknowledging large fan assemblies in stadiums and juggling the ball with groups of children.

There were speculation earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister left the country on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Reason of Messi's Great Popularity in India

Messi's appeal stems not just from his prolific international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that countless Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.