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

Football superstar Lionel Messi has finished his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, in the wake of a turbulent opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, countless fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentinian and Inter Miami striker.

As Messi, alongside Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd chanted his name.

His flight from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, local media stated, and his agenda had to be trimmed. On Saturday, frustrated fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his appearance there.

An Intense Agenda Across Multiple Cities

Messi had a busy schedule in India, attending a succession of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the wee hours of Saturday.

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

Troubled Start in Football-Loving Kolkata

The tour, however, got off to a troubled start after disappointed fans destroyed seats and threw 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 attend the event.

However, many were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation grew violent.

"Poor management of a much-publicized event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "released their frustration by indulging in violence."

The disturbance, which grabbed 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 detained, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.

Peaceful Events in Other Cities

Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the international legend online and in media interviews.

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 meetings, Messi could be seen waving to 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 departed on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Source of Messi's Great Appeal in India

Messi's fame is due to more than his long international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that a huge number of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.