🔗 Share this article Calm Finish to Messi's Visit to India In the Wake of Kolkata Chaos Messi concluded his visit to India with an event at a stadium in Delhi on Monday. Soccer legend Lionel Messi has concluded his three-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, after a disorderly opening in Kolkata. On Monday, a multitude of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentinian and Inter Miami forward. As Messi, alongside Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – booting balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd chanted his name. His flight from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, sources reported, and his agenda had to be shortened. On Saturday, angry fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his appearance there. An Intense Schedule Across Multiple Cities Messi had a busy schedule in India, attending a series of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the wee hours of Saturday. Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually revealed a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the eastern city. Disastrous Start in Football-Crazy Kolkata A supporter displays a shirt of Messi at the event in Delhi. The tour, however, started with a troubled start after angry 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 countless devoted supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event. However, the majority were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was enveloped 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 hyped-up 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 engaging in violence." The ruckus, which made international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been called a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'. The organizer in Kolkata has been arrested, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody. Successful Engagements in Other Cities Messi kicked a ball with youngsters at a sports arena in Delhi. Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the international legend online 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. Messi digitally revealed a towering statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi met Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these interactions, Messi could be seen greeting large fan crowds 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 left the country on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Root of His Great Fame in India Messi's appeal is due to more than his lengthy international career and broad 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.
Messi concluded his visit to India with an event at a stadium in Delhi on Monday. Soccer legend Lionel Messi has concluded his three-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, after a disorderly opening in Kolkata. On Monday, a multitude of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentinian and Inter Miami forward. As Messi, alongside Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – booting balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd chanted his name. His flight from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, sources reported, and his agenda had to be shortened. On Saturday, angry fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his appearance there. An Intense Schedule Across Multiple Cities Messi had a busy schedule in India, attending a series of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the wee hours of Saturday. Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually revealed a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the eastern city. Disastrous Start in Football-Crazy Kolkata A supporter displays a shirt of Messi at the event in Delhi. The tour, however, started with a troubled start after angry 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 countless devoted supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event. However, the majority were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was enveloped 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 hyped-up 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 engaging in violence." The ruckus, which made international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been called a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'. The organizer in Kolkata has been arrested, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody. Successful Engagements in Other Cities Messi kicked a ball with youngsters at a sports arena in Delhi. Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the international legend online 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. Messi digitally revealed a towering statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi met Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these interactions, Messi could be seen greeting large fan crowds 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 left the country on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Root of His Great Fame in India Messi's appeal is due to more than his lengthy international career and broad 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.