Peaceful End to Messi's Visit to India In the Wake of Kolkata Chaos

Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, after a disorderly opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, a multitude of fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami attacker.

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

His plane from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, sources stated, and his schedule had to be cut down. On Saturday, angry fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his appearance there.

An Intense Agenda Across Multiple Cities

Messi had a packed schedule in India, attending a succession of promotional 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 remotely presented a massive statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India.

Chaotic Start in Soccer-Mad Kolkata

The tour, however, began with a disastrous start after disappointed fans ripped up seats and threw 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, most of them were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation turned hostile.

"Inept organization of a hyped-up event, lack of co-ordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "expressed their fury by indulging in violence."

The ruckus, which captured 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 remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.

Successful Visits in Other Cities

Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the international legend online and in press interactions.

Messi also had meetings with several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

In between these interactions, Messi could be seen greeting large fan crowds in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children.

There were reports earlier that Messi would have a meeting with Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister traveled abroad on Monday morning on a pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Source of His Immense Popularity in India

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