🔗 Share this article Peaceful End to Lionel Messi's Visit to India After Kolkata Chaos Messi wrapped up his visit to India with an engagement at a sports arena in Delhi on Monday. Football superstar Lionel Messi has finished his multi-day India tour in hazy Delhi, in the wake of a disorderly opening in Kolkata. On Monday, thousands of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami forward. As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name. His flight from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, sources stated, and his itinerary had to be trimmed. On Saturday, angry fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his appearance there. A Packed Agenda Across Several Metropolises Messi had a busy schedule in India, taking part in a succession of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the wee hours of Saturday. Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely presented a massive statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the city in eastern India. Disastrous Start in Football-Crazy Kolkata A fan displays a jersey of Messi at the gathering in Delhi. The tour, however, got off to a troubled start after disappointed fans destroyed seats and threw 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 spent up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event. However, the majority were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation grew violent. "Poor management of a much-publicized event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "released their frustration by engaging in violence." The unrest, which made international headlines, cast a shadow over Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been termed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'. The event organiser in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody. Smooth Engagements in Other Cities Messi had a kickabout with youngsters at a stadium in Delhi. Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the global icon online and in media interviews. Messi also had meetings with several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi virtually presented a massive statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi had a meeting with Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these interactions, Messi could be seen greeting large fan gatherings 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 left the country on Monday morning on a pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Reason of His Great Appeal in India Messi's popularity stems not just from his prolific international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that millions of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.
Messi wrapped up his visit to India with an engagement at a sports arena in Delhi on Monday. Football superstar Lionel Messi has finished his multi-day India tour in hazy Delhi, in the wake of a disorderly opening in Kolkata. On Monday, thousands of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami forward. As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name. His flight from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, sources stated, and his itinerary had to be trimmed. On Saturday, angry fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his appearance there. A Packed Agenda Across Several Metropolises Messi had a busy schedule in India, taking part in a succession of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the wee hours of Saturday. Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely presented a massive statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the city in eastern India. Disastrous Start in Football-Crazy Kolkata A fan displays a jersey of Messi at the gathering in Delhi. The tour, however, got off to a troubled start after disappointed fans destroyed seats and threw 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 spent up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event. However, the majority were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation grew violent. "Poor management of a much-publicized event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "released their frustration by engaging in violence." The unrest, which made international headlines, cast a shadow over Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been termed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'. The event organiser in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody. Smooth Engagements in Other Cities Messi had a kickabout with youngsters at a stadium in Delhi. Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the global icon online and in media interviews. Messi also had meetings with several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi virtually presented a massive statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi had a meeting with Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these interactions, Messi could be seen greeting large fan gatherings 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 left the country on Monday morning on a pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Reason of His Great Appeal in India Messi's popularity stems not just from his prolific international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that millions of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.