Peaceful Conclusion to Lionel Messi's India Tour After Kolkata Chaos

Football superstar Lionel Messi has finished his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, after a turbulent opening in Kolkata.

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

As Messi, alongside Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – kicking 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, local media reported, and his schedule had to be trimmed. On Saturday, frustrated fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his visit there.

An Intense Itinerary Across Multiple Cities

Messi had a packed schedule in India, participating in a succession of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the pre-dawn of Saturday.

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

Troubled Start in Football-Loving Kolkata

The tour, however, began with a disastrous 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 countless ardent supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.

However, the majority didn't even get to see him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation became tense.

"Poor management of a hyped-up event, poor coordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "released their frustration by resorting to violence."

The unrest, which grabbed international headlines, overshadowed 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 detained, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody.

Peaceful Visits in Hyderabad and Mumbai

Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans expressing their joy 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 cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

In between these meetings, Messi could be seen waving to large fan assemblies in stadiums and dribbling 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 His Immense Appeal in India

Messi's appeal stems not just from his prolific international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the emotional connection that a huge number of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.