Smooth End to Lionel Messi's Visit to India After Unrest in Kolkata

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

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

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

His plane from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, local media indicated, and his itinerary had to be trimmed. On Saturday, disappointed fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his event there.

A Packed Agenda Spanning Multiple Cities

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

Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely unveiled a 21-meter statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the eastern city.

Disastrous Start in Soccer-Mad Kolkata

The tour, however, got off to a troubled start after disappointed fans destroyed seats and hurled items towards the pitch at the stadium.

Football is extremely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and thousands of ardent supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event.

However, the majority failed to see him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation grew violent.

"Poor management of a much-publicized event, disorganization" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "released their frustration by engaging in violence."

The disturbance, which grabbed 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 arrested, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.

Successful Events in Other Cities

Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the world-famous star online and in media interviews.

Messi also had meetings with 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 interactions, Messi could be seen waving to large fan gatherings in stadiums and playing football with groups of children.

There were reports earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister left the country on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Source of His Vast Appeal in India

Messi's popularity comes not only from his prolific international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the highest goal-getter for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that millions of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.