🔗 Share this article Calm End to Messi's Visit to India Following Unrest in Kolkata Messi finished his visit to India with an appearance at a sports arena in Delhi on Monday. Soccer legend Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, following a chaotic opening in Kolkata. On Monday, countless fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentina and Inter Miami attacker. As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd roared his name. His plane from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, sources stated, and his agenda had to be shortened. On Saturday, angry fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his event there. An Intense Schedule Across Several Metropolises Messi had a packed schedule in India, taking part in a series of marketing 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 remotely unveiled a massive statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India. Chaotic Kickoff in Soccer-Mad Kolkata A fan displays a shirt of Messi at the gathering in Delhi. The tour, however, got off to a chaotic start after frustrated fans destroyed seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium. Football is immensely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and countless adoring supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event. However, many were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation grew violent. "Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, disorganization" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "vented their anger by resorting to violence." The disturbance, which captured 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 detention. Peaceful Events in Other Cities Messi had a kickabout with youngsters at a stadium in Delhi. 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 press interactions. 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 revealed a massive statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi had a meeting with Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these engagements, Messi could be seen waving to large fan gatherings 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 planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Source of Messi's Great Appeal in India Messi's appeal comes not only from his prolific international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the highest goal-getter for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that countless Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.
Messi finished his visit to India with an appearance at a sports arena in Delhi on Monday. Soccer legend Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, following a chaotic opening in Kolkata. On Monday, countless fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentina and Inter Miami attacker. As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd roared his name. His plane from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, sources stated, and his agenda had to be shortened. On Saturday, angry fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his event there. An Intense Schedule Across Several Metropolises Messi had a packed schedule in India, taking part in a series of marketing 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 remotely unveiled a massive statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India. Chaotic Kickoff in Soccer-Mad Kolkata A fan displays a shirt of Messi at the gathering in Delhi. The tour, however, got off to a chaotic start after frustrated fans destroyed seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium. Football is immensely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and countless adoring supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event. However, many were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation grew violent. "Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, disorganization" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "vented their anger by resorting to violence." The disturbance, which captured 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 detention. Peaceful Events in Other Cities Messi had a kickabout with youngsters at a stadium in Delhi. 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 press interactions. 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 revealed a massive statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi had a meeting with Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these engagements, Messi could be seen waving to large fan gatherings 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 planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Source of Messi's Great Appeal in India Messi's appeal comes not only from his prolific international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the highest goal-getter for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that countless Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.