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

Soccer legend Lionel Messi has finished his multi-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, in the wake of a turbulent opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, thousands of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami attacker.

As Messi, alongside Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – booting balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd roared his name.

His flight from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, reports stated, and his schedule had to be cut down. On Saturday, frustrated fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his appearance there.

An Intense Agenda Spanning Several Metropolises

Messi had a hectic schedule in India, participating in a succession of brand events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the pre-dawn of Saturday.

Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually revealed a 21-meter statue of himself, built over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the city in eastern India.

Disastrous Start in Soccer-Mad Kolkata

The tour, however, began with a troubled start after frustrated fans tore seats and flung items towards the pitch at the stadium.

Football is hugely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and thousands of ardent supporters had spent 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 surrounded by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation became tense.

"Inept organization of a hyped-up event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "released their frustration by engaging in violence."

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

The promoter in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.

Peaceful Events in Other Cities

Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the world-famous star on social media and in media interviews.

Messi also had meetings with several political figures and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

In between these engagements, 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 Source of His Great Popularity in India

Messi's popularity stems not just from his lengthy international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that a huge number of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.