Calm Finish to Messi's Visit to India Following Disorder in Kolkata

Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, in the wake of a chaotic opening in Kolkata.

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

As Messi, joined by Inter Miami teammates 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 shouted his name.

His plane from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, sources reported, and his agenda had to be shortened. On Saturday, frustrated fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his event there.

An Intense Agenda Spanning Multiple Cities

Messi had a busy schedule in India, participating in a succession of brand events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the early hours of Saturday.

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

Chaotic Beginning in Football-Crazy Kolkata

The tour, however, started with a troubled start after frustrated 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 thousands of devoted supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event.

However, most of them didn't even get to see him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation turned hostile.

"Inept organization of a highly anticipated event, poor coordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "vented their anger by engaging in violence."

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

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

Peaceful Engagements in Other Cities

Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the world-famous star online and in press interactions.

Messi also encountered several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

In between these meetings, 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 left the country on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Reason of His Immense Fame in India

Messi's popularity stems not just from his long international career and extensive 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.