Peaceful Finish to Lionel Messi's Visit to India Following Disorder in Kolkata

Global football icon Lionel Messi has finished his three-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, after a turbulent opening in Kolkata.

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

As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – sending balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd roared his name.

His flight from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, sources reported, and his itinerary had to be shortened. On Saturday, angry fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his appearance there.

A Packed Itinerary Across Multiple Cities

Messi had a packed schedule in India, participating in a string of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the early hours of Saturday.

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

Chaotic Beginning in Soccer-Mad Kolkata

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

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

However, many 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 grew violent.

"Faulty planning of a much-publicized event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "released their frustration by engaging in violence."

The ruckus, which captured international headlines, cast a shadow over Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been dubbed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.

The promoter in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.

Peaceful Engagements in Other Cities

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

Messi also met several political figures and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

In between these engagements, Messi could be seen greeting large fan gatherings 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 left the country on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Source of Messi's Vast Fame in India

Messi's fame is due to more than his lengthy international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that millions of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.