Smooth Conclusion to Lionel Messi's Visit to India Following Kolkata Chaos

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

On Monday, countless fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentinian and Inter Miami striker.

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

His flight from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, local media reported, and his schedule had to be trimmed. On Saturday, disappointed fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his visit there.

An Intense Itinerary Across Multiple Cities

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

Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely revealed a 21-meter statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India.

Disastrous Beginning in Football-Crazy Kolkata

The tour, however, began with a disastrous start after angry 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 ardent supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.

However, the majority didn't even get to see him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation grew violent.

"Inept organization of a hyped-up event, disorganization" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "expressed their fury by indulging in violence."

The disturbance, which grabbed international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been dubbed 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 police custody.

Successful Visits in Other Cities

Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the global icon online and in media interviews.

Messi also met several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star 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 acknowledging large fan crowds 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 His Vast 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 all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that countless Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.