Peaceful Finish to Lionel Messi's Visit to India After Unrest in Kolkata

Global football icon Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in hazy Delhi, following a chaotic opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, thousands of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami attacker.

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

His aircraft from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, local media stated, and his agenda had to be cut down. On Saturday, frustrated fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his event there.

A Busy Itinerary Spanning Multiple Cities

Messi had a hectic schedule in India, taking part in a series of brand events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the pre-dawn of Saturday.

Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually revealed a massive statue of himself, built over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India.

Troubled Start in Football-Crazy Kolkata

The tour, however, began with a chaotic start after angry fans ripped up seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium.

Football is hugely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and a multitude of ardent supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event.

However, the majority failed to see him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation became tense.

"Inept organization of a much-publicized event, disorganization" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "expressed their fury by engaging in violence."

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

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

Smooth Events in Other Cities

Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the global icon on social media and in press interactions.

Messi also had meetings with several political figures 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 dribbling the ball with groups of children.

There were reports 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 Source of His Immense Popularity in India

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