🔗 Share this article Peaceful End to Messi's Visit to India In the Wake of Kolkata Chaos Messi finished his India tour with an event at a stadium in Delhi on Monday. Soccer legend Lionel Messi has finished his three-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, after a turbulent opening in Kolkata. On Monday, a multitude of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentinian and Inter Miami attacker. As Messi, joined by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd roared his name. His flight from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, reports reported, and his itinerary had to be shortened. On Saturday, frustrated fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his event there. A Packed Itinerary Spanning Several Metropolises Messi had a busy schedule in India, taking part in a string of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the pre-dawn of Saturday. Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally presented a massive statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the city in eastern India. Troubled Kickoff in Football-Crazy Kolkata An admirer displays a jersey of Messi at the gathering in Delhi. The tour, however, began with a troubled start after frustrated fans ripped up 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 thousands of adoring supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to be at 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 turned hostile. "Poor management of a highly anticipated event, disorganization" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence." The disturbance, which grabbed international headlines, marred Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been termed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'. The event organiser in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody. Peaceful Engagements in Other Cities Messi had a kickabout with kids at a sports arena in Delhi. Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the world-famous star online and in media interviews. Messi also encountered several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi virtually presented a massive statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi had a meeting with Indian sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these interactions, Messi could be seen acknowledging 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 left the country on Monday morning on a pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Reason of His Vast Appeal in India Messi's fame is due to more than his lengthy international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that a huge number of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.
Messi finished his India tour with an event at a stadium in Delhi on Monday. Soccer legend Lionel Messi has finished his three-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, after a turbulent opening in Kolkata. On Monday, a multitude of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentinian and Inter Miami attacker. As Messi, joined by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd roared his name. His flight from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, reports reported, and his itinerary had to be shortened. On Saturday, frustrated fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his event there. A Packed Itinerary Spanning Several Metropolises Messi had a busy schedule in India, taking part in a string of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the pre-dawn of Saturday. Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally presented a massive statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the city in eastern India. Troubled Kickoff in Football-Crazy Kolkata An admirer displays a jersey of Messi at the gathering in Delhi. The tour, however, began with a troubled start after frustrated fans ripped up 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 thousands of adoring supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to be at 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 turned hostile. "Poor management of a highly anticipated event, disorganization" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence." The disturbance, which grabbed international headlines, marred Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been termed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'. The event organiser in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody. Peaceful Engagements in Other Cities Messi had a kickabout with kids at a sports arena in Delhi. Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the world-famous star online and in media interviews. Messi also encountered several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi virtually presented a massive statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi had a meeting with Indian sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these interactions, Messi could be seen acknowledging 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 left the country on Monday morning on a pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Reason of His Vast Appeal in India Messi's fame is due to more than his lengthy international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that a huge number of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.