Calm Finish to Messi's Visit to India In the Wake of Unrest in Kolkata

Global football icon Lionel Messi has finished his multi-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, in the wake of a turbulent opening in Kolkata.

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

As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd shouted his name.

His plane from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, sources indicated, and his schedule had to be shortened. On Saturday, angry fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his appearance 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 early hours of Saturday.

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

Troubled Kickoff in Football-Crazy Kolkata

The tour, however, started with a chaotic start after angry 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 devoted supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event.

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

"Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, lack of co-ordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "vented their anger by resorting to violence."

The disturbance, which captured international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been called a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.

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

Peaceful Events in Other Cities

Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the global icon online 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 interactions, Messi could be seen greeting large fan crowds in stadiums and dribbling the ball 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 Reason of Messi's Vast Appeal in India

Messi's appeal is due to more than his prolific international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that millions of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.