🔗 Share this article Smooth End to Lionel Messi's Visit to India After Disorder in Kolkata Messi wrapped up his India tour with an event at a sports arena in Delhi on Monday. Football superstar Lionel Messi has finished his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, in the wake of a disorderly opening in Kolkata. On Monday, a multitude of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami striker. As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – sending balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd shouted his name. His flight from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, local media indicated, and his agenda had to be cut down. On Saturday, angry fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his appearance there. An Intense Itinerary Spanning Multiple Cities Messi had a packed schedule in India, participating in a series of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the early hours of Saturday. Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally presented a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India. Chaotic Kickoff in Football-Loving Kolkata An admirer displays a shirt of Messi at the event in Delhi. The tour, however, got off to a disastrous start after frustrated fans destroyed seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium. Football is extremely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and countless devoted supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to attend 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 hurriedly escorted away as the situation became tense. "Inept organization of a hyped-up event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence." The unrest, which made international headlines, cast a shadow over Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been dubbed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'. The organizer in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention. Peaceful Events in Hyderabad and Mumbai Messi had a kickabout with children at a sports arena in Delhi. Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the international legend online and in media interviews. Messi also encountered several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi digitally presented a towering statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi encountered Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these interactions, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan assemblies 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 pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Root of Messi's Great Appeal in India Messi's fame is due to more than his lengthy international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the emotional connection that countless Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.
Messi wrapped up his India tour with an event at a sports arena in Delhi on Monday. Football superstar Lionel Messi has finished his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, in the wake of a disorderly opening in Kolkata. On Monday, a multitude of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami striker. As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – sending balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd shouted his name. His flight from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, local media indicated, and his agenda had to be cut down. On Saturday, angry fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his appearance there. An Intense Itinerary Spanning Multiple Cities Messi had a packed schedule in India, participating in a series of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the early hours of Saturday. Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally presented a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India. Chaotic Kickoff in Football-Loving Kolkata An admirer displays a shirt of Messi at the event in Delhi. The tour, however, got off to a disastrous start after frustrated fans destroyed seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium. Football is extremely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and countless devoted supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to attend 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 hurriedly escorted away as the situation became tense. "Inept organization of a hyped-up event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence." The unrest, which made international headlines, cast a shadow over Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been dubbed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'. The organizer in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention. Peaceful Events in Hyderabad and Mumbai Messi had a kickabout with children at a sports arena in Delhi. Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the international legend online and in media interviews. Messi also encountered several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi digitally presented a towering statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi encountered Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these interactions, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan assemblies 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 pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Root of Messi's Great Appeal in India Messi's fame is due to more than his lengthy international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the emotional connection that countless Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.