Peaceful End to Lionel Messi's India Tour In the Wake of Kolkata Chaos

Global football icon Lionel Messi has concluded his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, in the wake of a chaotic opening in Kolkata.

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

As Messi, alongside Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd shouted his name.

His flight from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, sources stated, 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 Spanning Multiple Cities

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

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

Disastrous Kickoff in Football-Loving Kolkata

The tour, however, began with a troubled start after frustrated fans tore seats and flung items towards the pitch at the stadium.

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

However, most of them didn't even get to see him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation turned hostile.

"Inept organization of a hyped-up event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "expressed their fury by engaging in violence."

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

Peaceful Engagements in Other Cities

Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the global icon online and in press interactions.

Messi also had meetings with several political figures and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

In between these interactions, Messi could be seen waving to large fan gatherings in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children.

There were speculation earlier that Messi would have a meeting with Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister traveled abroad on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Source of His Great Fame in India

Messi's fame stems not just from his prolific international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the highest goal-getter for Barcelona – but also the emotional connection that millions of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.