🔗 Share this article Calm End to Messi's Visit to India Following Unrest in Kolkata Messi wrapped up his India tour with an appearance at a sports arena in Delhi on Monday. Global football icon Lionel Messi has concluded his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, after a disorderly opening in Kolkata. On Monday, thousands of fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of 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 giving signatures – the crowd roared his name. His flight from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, local media indicated, and his schedule had to be cut down. On Saturday, disappointed fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his event there. A Packed Agenda Spanning Multiple Cities Messi had a packed schedule in India, taking part in a string of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the pre-dawn of Saturday. Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually unveiled a 21-meter statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a large crew in the eastern city. Chaotic Beginning in Football-Loving Kolkata A fan holds a jersey of Messi at the gathering in Delhi. The tour, however, got off to a disastrous start after angry fans ripped up seats and hurled items towards the pitch at the stadium. Football is immensely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and a multitude of adoring supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event. However, the majority didn't even get to see him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation turned hostile. "Inept organization of a hyped-up event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "vented their anger by indulging 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 organizer in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention. Smooth Events in Other Cities Messi had a kickabout with kids at a sports arena in Delhi. Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the world-famous star on social media and in press interactions. Messi also had meetings with several political figures and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi virtually presented a towering statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi met Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these engagements, Messi could be seen greeting large fan assemblies in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children. There were reports earlier that Messi would have a meeting with Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister departed on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Source of Messi's Vast Fame in India Messi's appeal comes not only from his prolific international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that countless Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.
Messi wrapped up his India tour with an appearance at a sports arena in Delhi on Monday. Global football icon Lionel Messi has concluded his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, after a disorderly opening in Kolkata. On Monday, thousands of fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of 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 giving signatures – the crowd roared his name. His flight from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, local media indicated, and his schedule had to be cut down. On Saturday, disappointed fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his event there. A Packed Agenda Spanning Multiple Cities Messi had a packed schedule in India, taking part in a string of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the pre-dawn of Saturday. Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually unveiled a 21-meter statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a large crew in the eastern city. Chaotic Beginning in Football-Loving Kolkata A fan holds a jersey of Messi at the gathering in Delhi. The tour, however, got off to a disastrous start after angry fans ripped up seats and hurled items towards the pitch at the stadium. Football is immensely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and a multitude of adoring supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event. However, the majority didn't even get to see him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation turned hostile. "Inept organization of a hyped-up event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "vented their anger by indulging 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 organizer in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention. Smooth Events in Other Cities Messi had a kickabout with kids at a sports arena in Delhi. Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the world-famous star on social media and in press interactions. Messi also had meetings with several political figures and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi virtually presented a towering statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi met Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these engagements, Messi could be seen greeting large fan assemblies in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children. There were reports earlier that Messi would have a meeting with Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister departed on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Source of Messi's Vast Fame in India Messi's appeal comes not only from his prolific international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that countless Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.