🔗 Share this article Calm End to Lionel Messi's Visit to India Following Unrest in Kolkata Messi concluded his India tour with an event at a stadium in Delhi on Monday. Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, following a turbulent opening in Kolkata. On Monday, countless fans gathered 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 – sending balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name. His plane from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, local media indicated, and his itinerary had to be cut down. On Saturday, frustrated fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his visit there. A Busy Agenda Across Multiple Cities Messi had a busy schedule in India, participating in a string of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the wee hours of Saturday. Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually revealed a massive statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the eastern city. Troubled Kickoff in Football-Loving Kolkata A supporter shows a jersey of Messi at the event in Delhi. The tour, however, started with a chaotic start after angry fans destroyed 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 attend the event. However, the majority were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his quick 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 "scene of chaos", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence." The disturbance, which captured international headlines, overshadowed 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 detained, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody. Smooth Events in Other Cities Messi played football with children at a stadium in Delhi. Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the international legend online and in press interactions. 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. Messi virtually unveiled a towering statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi met Indian sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these meetings, Messi could be seen greeting large fan assemblies in stadiums and playing football 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 scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Root of His Immense Appeal in India Messi's appeal stems not just from his prolific international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the emotional connection that a huge number of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.
Messi concluded his India tour with an event at a stadium in Delhi on Monday. Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, following a turbulent opening in Kolkata. On Monday, countless fans gathered 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 – sending balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name. His plane from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, local media indicated, and his itinerary had to be cut down. On Saturday, frustrated fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his visit there. A Busy Agenda Across Multiple Cities Messi had a busy schedule in India, participating in a string of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the wee hours of Saturday. Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually revealed a massive statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the eastern city. Troubled Kickoff in Football-Loving Kolkata A supporter shows a jersey of Messi at the event in Delhi. The tour, however, started with a chaotic start after angry fans destroyed 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 attend the event. However, the majority were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his quick 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 "scene of chaos", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence." The disturbance, which captured international headlines, overshadowed 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 detained, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody. Smooth Events in Other Cities Messi played football with children at a stadium in Delhi. Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the international legend online and in press interactions. 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. Messi virtually unveiled a towering statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi met Indian sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these meetings, Messi could be seen greeting large fan assemblies in stadiums and playing football 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 scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Root of His Immense Appeal in India Messi's appeal stems not just from his prolific international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the emotional connection that a huge number of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.