🔗 Share this article Smooth End to Messi's India Tour After Kolkata Chaos Messi finished his visit to India with an appearance at a sports arena in Delhi on Monday. 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 assembled in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentinian and Inter Miami striker. As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd roared his name. His plane from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, local media indicated, and his agenda had to be trimmed. On Saturday, frustrated fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his visit there. A Busy Itinerary Spanning Several Metropolises Messi had a packed schedule in India, participating in a series of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the pre-dawn of Saturday. Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually revealed a massive statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India. Chaotic Beginning in Football-Loving Kolkata A fan displays a jersey of Messi at the gathering in Delhi. The tour, however, started with a chaotic start after angry fans tore seats and flung items towards the pitch at the stadium. Football is hugely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and countless devoted supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to witness 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 highly anticipated event, poor coordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "released their frustration by engaging in violence." The unrest, which made 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 event organiser in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody. Peaceful Events in Other Cities Messi played football with youngsters at a stadium in Delhi. Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the world-famous star online and in press interactions. Messi also met several political figures and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi digitally unveiled a towering statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi encountered Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these meetings, Messi could be seen greeting large fan gatherings 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 departed on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Root of Messi's Vast Popularity in India Messi's popularity stems not just from his lengthy international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that millions of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.
Messi finished his visit to India with an appearance at a sports arena in Delhi on Monday. 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 assembled in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentinian and Inter Miami striker. As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd roared his name. His plane from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, local media indicated, and his agenda had to be trimmed. On Saturday, frustrated fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his visit there. A Busy Itinerary Spanning Several Metropolises Messi had a packed schedule in India, participating in a series of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the pre-dawn of Saturday. Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually revealed a massive statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India. Chaotic Beginning in Football-Loving Kolkata A fan displays a jersey of Messi at the gathering in Delhi. The tour, however, started with a chaotic start after angry fans tore seats and flung items towards the pitch at the stadium. Football is hugely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and countless devoted supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to witness 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 highly anticipated event, poor coordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "released their frustration by engaging in violence." The unrest, which made 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 event organiser in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody. Peaceful Events in Other Cities Messi played football with youngsters at a stadium in Delhi. Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the world-famous star online and in press interactions. Messi also met several political figures and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi digitally unveiled a towering statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi encountered Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these meetings, Messi could be seen greeting large fan gatherings 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 departed on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Root of Messi's Vast Popularity in India Messi's popularity stems not just from his lengthy international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that millions of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.