Smooth End to Messi's India Tour In the Wake of Unrest in Kolkata

Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in hazy Delhi, in the wake of a chaotic opening in Kolkata.

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

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

His flight from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, reports reported, and his itinerary had to be shortened. On Saturday, angry fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his appearance there.

An Intense Schedule Across Several Metropolises

Messi had a packed schedule in India, participating in a series of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the early hours 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.

Disastrous Beginning in Soccer-Mad Kolkata

The tour, however, started with a troubled start after disappointed fans tore seats and flung 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 adoring supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event.

However, most of them were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was accompanied 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, poor coordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence."

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

The promoter in Kolkata has been arrested, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.

Successful Visits in Other Cities

Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the world-famous star on social media and in media interviews.

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

In between these engagements, 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 left the country on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Root of Messi's Vast Fame in India

Messi's fame comes not only from his prolific international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that countless Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.