Smooth Conclusion to Lionel Messi's Visit to India After Kolkata Chaos

Global football icon Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, after a chaotic opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, thousands of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentinian and Inter Miami attacker.

As Messi, alongside Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – booting balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd roared his name.

His flight from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, local media stated, and his agenda had to be trimmed. On Saturday, angry fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his visit there.

An Intense Schedule Across Several Metropolises

Messi had a hectic schedule in India, participating in a succession of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the pre-dawn of Saturday.

Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally unveiled a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a large crew in the eastern city.

Troubled Start in Soccer-Mad Kolkata

The tour, however, got off to a disastrous start after angry fans destroyed seats and flung items towards the pitch at the stadium.

Football is extremely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and a multitude of adoring supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event.

However, the majority 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.

"Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "expressed their fury by engaging in violence."

The ruckus, 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 organizer in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody.

Smooth Engagements in Hyderabad and Mumbai

Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the world-famous star on social media and in press interactions.

Messi also met several political figures 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 engagements, Messi could be seen greeting large fan gatherings in stadiums and playing football with groups of children.

There were speculation earlier that Messi would meet 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 Vast Popularity in India

Messi's appeal stems not just from his prolific international career and wide 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.