Football superstar Lionel Messi has concluded his multi-day India tour in hazy Delhi, in the wake of a turbulent opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, thousands of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami forward.
As Messi, joined by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – sending balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd chanted his name.
His plane from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, reports indicated, and his schedule had to be trimmed. On Saturday, frustrated fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his visit there.
A Packed Itinerary Across Several Metropolises
Messi had a busy schedule in India, attending a string of brand 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 digitally revealed a massive statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the eastern city.
Chaotic Beginning in Football-Crazy Kolkata
The tour, however, started with a troubled start after frustrated fans destroyed 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 countless adoring supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event.
However, many failed to see him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation turned hostile.
"Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "expressed their fury by engaging in 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 organizer in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.
Peaceful Engagements in Hyderabad and Mumbai
Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the global icon on social media 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 sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.
In between these engagements, Messi could be seen greeting large fan assemblies in stadiums and juggling the ball with groups of children.
There were rumors earlier that Messi would have a meeting with Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister traveled abroad on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Root of His Vast Popularity in India
Messi's fame comes not only 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 called the beautiful game.
