Peaceful Conclusion to Lionel Messi's India Tour After Kolkata Chaos

Soccer legend Lionel Messi has finished his three-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, in the wake of 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, accompanied by Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd chanted his name.

His flight from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, sources indicated, and his agenda had to be shortened. On Saturday, frustrated fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his appearance there.

An Intense Schedule Across Several Metropolises

Messi had a packed schedule in India, attending a series of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the wee hours of Saturday.

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

Disastrous Kickoff in Soccer-Mad Kolkata

The tour, however, got off to a troubled start after angry fans destroyed seats and hurled items towards the pitch at the stadium.

Football is extremely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and a multitude of ardent supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to attend 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 hurriedly escorted away as the situation grew violent.

"Faulty planning of a hyped-up event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "released their frustration by indulging in violence."

The ruckus, which captured international headlines, marred 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 detained, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody.

Successful Events in Hyderabad and Mumbai

Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the international legend on social media and in media interviews.

Messi also met several politicians 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 crowds in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children.

There were rumors earlier that Messi would meet 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 His Great Appeal in India

Messi's popularity comes not only from his prolific 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 known as the beautiful game.