Peaceful Finish to Messi's India Tour In the Wake of Disorder in Kolkata

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

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

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

His plane from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, local media indicated, and his schedule had to be shortened. On Saturday, angry fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his appearance there.

A Packed Schedule Across Several Metropolises

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

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

Chaotic Kickoff in Soccer-Mad Kolkata

The tour, however, started with a chaotic start after disappointed fans destroyed 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 thousands of adoring supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.

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

"Poor management of a much-publicized event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "vented their anger by resorting to violence."

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

Peaceful Events in Hyderabad and Mumbai

Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the international legend on social media and in media interviews.

Messi also encountered several politicians 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 meetings, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan gatherings in stadiums and playing football with groups of children.

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

The Source of His Immense Fame in India

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