Smooth Conclusion to Messi's Visit to India After Disorder in Kolkata

Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, following a chaotic opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, a multitude of fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentina and Inter Miami forward.

As Messi, joined by Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd roared his name.

His plane from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, local media indicated, and his agenda had to be cut down. On Saturday, disappointed fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his event there.

A Busy Schedule Spanning Multiple Cities

Messi had a busy schedule in India, taking part in a succession of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the pre-dawn of Saturday.

Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely revealed a 21-meter statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India.

Disastrous Start in Football-Crazy Kolkata

The tour, however, started with a disastrous start after angry fans tore seats and flung items towards the pitch at the stadium.

Football is immensely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and countless devoted supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.

However, most of them were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation became tense.

"Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, disorganization" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "expressed their fury by indulging in violence."

The unrest, which captured international headlines, overshadowed 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 detained, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.

Smooth Engagements in Hyderabad and Mumbai

Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the global icon on social media and in media interviews.

Messi also encountered several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star 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 assemblies in stadiums and playing football 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 planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Source of Messi's Vast Popularity in India

Messi's fame is due to more than his long international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that millions of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.