Calm End to Messi's India Tour Following Kolkata Chaos

Global football icon Lionel Messi has finished his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, in the wake of a chaotic opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, thousands of fans assembled 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, walked onto the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd chanted his name.

His flight from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, sources indicated, and his agenda had to be trimmed. On Saturday, disappointed fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his appearance there.

A Packed Schedule Across Multiple Cities

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

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

Chaotic Kickoff in Football-Loving Kolkata

The tour, however, started with a troubled start after disappointed fans ripped up seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium.

Football is hugely 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 witness the event.

However, the majority didn't even get to see him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation turned hostile.

"Faulty planning of a much-publicized event, poor coordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence."

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

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

Smooth Events in Hyderabad and Mumbai

Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the global icon on social media and in press interactions.

Messi also met several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

In between these engagements, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan assemblies in stadiums and juggling the ball with groups of children.

There were rumors 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 Vast Popularity in India

Messi's popularity comes not only from his long international career and broad 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 called the beautiful game.