Smooth End to Lionel Messi's Visit to India Following Kolkata Chaos

Soccer legend Lionel Messi has finished his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, in the wake of a turbulent opening in Kolkata.

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

As Messi, alongside Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd roared his name.

His plane from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, sources reported, and his itinerary had to be shortened. On Saturday, angry fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his event there.

A Busy Schedule Across Several Metropolises

Messi had a hectic schedule in India, taking part in a series of brand 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 presented a massive statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a large crew in the eastern city.

Troubled Kickoff in Soccer-Mad Kolkata

The tour, however, started with a disastrous start after disappointed fans tore 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 a multitude of ardent supporters had spent 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 brief walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation turned hostile.

"Poor management of a hyped-up event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "expressed their fury by engaging in violence."

The ruckus, which made 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 taken into custody, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.

Peaceful Events in Other Cities

Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the world-famous star on social media and in press interactions.

Messi also met 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 meetings, Messi could be seen waving to large fan assemblies 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 departed on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Root of Messi's Great Fame in India

Messi's popularity comes not only 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 a huge number of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.