Calm End to Lionel Messi's India Tour Following Kolkata Chaos

Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, following a chaotic opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, countless fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentina and Inter Miami forward.

As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd chanted his name.

His aircraft from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, local media indicated, and his schedule had to be cut down. On Saturday, frustrated fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his visit there.

A Busy Agenda Spanning Multiple Cities

Messi had a hectic schedule in India, participating in a series of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the wee hours of Saturday.

Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually revealed a 21-meter statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the eastern city.

Disastrous Kickoff in Football-Loving Kolkata

The tour, however, started with a chaotic start after disappointed 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 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 accompanied by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation became tense.

"Poor management of a highly anticipated event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "expressed their fury by indulging in violence."

The disturbance, which captured 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 detained, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.

Smooth Visits in Hyderabad and Mumbai

Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the global icon on social media and in media interviews.

Messi also had meetings with several political figures and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

In between these engagements, 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 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 Source of His Immense Popularity in India

Messi's popularity stems not just 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 millions of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.