Peaceful Finish to Lionel Messi's Visit to India Following Disorder in Kolkata

Football superstar Lionel Messi has concluded his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, following a disorderly opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, a multitude of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentinian and Inter Miami forward.

As Messi, alongside Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd shouted his name.

His plane from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, local media stated, and his schedule had to be cut down. On Saturday, disappointed fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his appearance there.

An Intense Agenda Spanning Multiple Cities

Messi had a busy schedule in India, participating in a succession of brand events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the early hours of Saturday.

Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely revealed a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India.

Troubled Beginning in Football-Loving Kolkata

The tour, however, started with a troubled start after angry fans tore seats and threw 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, most of them were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation became tense.

"Inept organization of a hyped-up event, poor coordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence."

The unrest, which grabbed international headlines, cast a shadow over 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 remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody.

Successful Events in Hyderabad and Mumbai

Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the global icon on social media and in press interactions.

Messi also had meetings with 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 waving to large fan crowds in stadiums and juggling 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 left the country on Monday morning on a pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Reason of His Vast Popularity in India

Messi's appeal comes not only from his prolific international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the emotional connection that countless Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.