Peaceful Conclusion to Messi's Visit to India In the Wake of Kolkata Chaos

Soccer legend Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in hazy Delhi, in the wake of a turbulent opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, a multitude of fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentinian and Inter Miami forward.

As Messi, alongside Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – sending balls into the stands, playing 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 schedule had to be trimmed. On Saturday, disappointed fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his appearance there.

A Busy Schedule Spanning Multiple Cities

Messi had a packed schedule in India, participating in a succession of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the early hours of Saturday.

Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually revealed a massive statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India.

Disastrous Beginning in Football-Loving Kolkata

The tour, however, started with a disastrous start after angry fans tore 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 a multitude of adoring supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to be at 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 quickly whisked away as the situation grew violent.

"Inept organization of a much-publicized event, poor coordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "released their frustration by resorting to violence."

The ruckus, which captured international headlines, cast a shadow over Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been termed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.

The event organiser in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody.

Peaceful Visits in Other Cities

Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the global icon on social media and in media interviews.

Messi also met several politicians 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 meetings, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan assemblies 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 traveled abroad on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Root of Messi's Immense Fame in India

Messi's popularity stems not just from his long international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that millions of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.