Peaceful End to Messi's India Tour In the Wake of Kolkata Chaos

Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, following a turbulent opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, countless fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentinian and Inter Miami forward.

As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – sending balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name.

His plane from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, reports reported, and his itinerary had to be cut down. On Saturday, frustrated fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his event there.

A Packed Itinerary Across Multiple Cities

Messi had a packed schedule in India, attending a series of promotional 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 unveiled a massive statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a large crew in the eastern city.

Disastrous Kickoff in Football-Loving Kolkata

The tour, however, started with a disastrous start after frustrated fans destroyed 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 thousands of ardent supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event.

However, most of them didn't even get to see him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation grew violent.

"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 – "released their frustration by indulging in violence."

The unrest, which made international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been termed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.

The organizer in Kolkata has been arrested, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody.

Successful Events in Hyderabad and Mumbai

Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the world-famous star online and in media interviews.

Messi also had meetings with several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

In between these interactions, 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 left the country on Monday morning on a pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Reason of His Great Fame in India

Messi's popularity stems not just from his lengthy international career and extensive 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 referred to as the beautiful game.