Peaceful Conclusion to Messi's India Tour After Kolkata Chaos

Football superstar Lionel Messi has concluded his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, in the wake of a turbulent opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, countless fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentinian and Inter Miami attacker.

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

His aircraft from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, sources 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 Agenda Across Several Metropolises

Messi had a hectic schedule in India, attending a string of promotional 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 21-meter statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the eastern city.

Troubled Kickoff in Football-Loving Kolkata

The tour, however, got off to a disastrous start after disappointed fans ripped up seats and hurled items towards the pitch at the stadium.

Football is hugely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and thousands of devoted supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event.

However, the majority failed to see him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation grew violent.

"Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "vented their anger by engaging in violence."

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

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

Successful Engagements in Hyderabad and Mumbai

Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the international legend on social media and in media interviews.

Messi also had meetings with 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 engagements, Messi could be seen waving to large fan gatherings in stadiums and juggling 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 traveled abroad on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Reason of His Vast Popularity in India

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