Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, following a disorderly opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, countless fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami attacker.
As Messi, alongside Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd chanted his name.
His aircraft from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, reports stated, and his agenda had to be cut down. On Saturday, frustrated fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his visit there.
A Busy Itinerary Spanning Multiple Cities
Messi had a hectic schedule in India, taking part in a string of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the early hours of Saturday.
Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually revealed a 21-meter statue of himself, built over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India.
Chaotic Beginning in Football-Crazy Kolkata
The tour, however, started with a chaotic start after frustrated fans destroyed 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 thousands of devoted supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event.
However, the majority failed to see him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation turned hostile.
"Inept organization of a highly anticipated event, poor coordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "vented their anger by resorting to violence."
The disturbance, which captured international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been dubbed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The promoter in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.
Peaceful Visits in Other Cities
Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the global icon online and in media interviews.
Messi also encountered 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 interactions, Messi could be seen waving to large fan assemblies in stadiums and playing football with groups of children.
There were rumors earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister departed on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Reason of Messi's Great Fame in India
Messi's popularity comes not only from his lengthy international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that a huge number of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.
