Calm Finish to Lionel Messi's India Tour After Kolkata Chaos

Global football icon Lionel Messi has finished his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, after a disorderly opening in Kolkata.

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

As Messi, joined by 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 aircraft from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, local media stated, and his agenda had to be trimmed. On Saturday, disappointed 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, attending a succession of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the pre-dawn of Saturday.

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

Troubled Beginning in Soccer-Mad Kolkata

The tour, however, got off to a troubled start after angry fans destroyed seats and hurled items towards the pitch at the stadium.

Football is immensely 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, the majority didn't even get to see him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation grew violent.

"Faulty planning of a much-publicized event, disorganization" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "vented their anger by indulging in violence."

The ruckus, which made international headlines, marred 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 taken into custody, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody.

Successful Visits in Hyderabad and Mumbai

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

Messi also met several political figures 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 engagements, 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 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 His Great Popularity in India

Messi's fame stems not just from his long international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that countless Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.