Smooth End to Lionel Messi's India Tour Following Kolkata Chaos
Global football icon Lionel Messi has finished his multi-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, following a chaotic opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, thousands of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentinian and Inter Miami striker.
As Messi, alongside Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – booting balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd chanted his name.
His plane from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, reports reported, and his itinerary had to be cut down. On Saturday, angry fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his appearance there.
A Packed Schedule Across Multiple Cities
Messi had a packed schedule in India, attending a succession of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the early 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 Start in Football-Loving Kolkata
The tour, however, began with a troubled start after angry 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 adoring supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event.
However, many failed to see him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation turned hostile.
"Faulty planning of a much-publicized event, poor coordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "vented their anger by resorting to violence."
The disturbance, which grabbed international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been termed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The event organiser in Kolkata has been arrested, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.
Peaceful Events in Hyderabad and Mumbai
Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the international legend online and in media interviews.
Messi also encountered 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.
In between these engagements, Messi could be seen waving to large fan gatherings 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 left the country on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Source of Messi's Vast Popularity in India
Messi's fame comes not only 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 called the beautiful game.
