Peaceful Finish to Lionel Messi's Visit to India In the Wake of Disorder in Kolkata

Soccer legend Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, in the wake of a disorderly opening in Kolkata.

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

As Messi, alongside Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd roared 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, angry fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his appearance there.

A Packed Agenda Spanning Several Metropolises

Messi had a packed schedule in India, attending a series of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the pre-dawn of Saturday.

Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely revealed a massive statue of himself, built over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India.

Disastrous Start in Soccer-Mad Kolkata

The tour, however, started with a disastrous start after frustrated 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 a multitude of ardent supporters had forked out 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 rapidly taken away as the situation became tense.

"Faulty planning of a hyped-up event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "released their frustration by engaging in violence."

The unrest, which grabbed international headlines, cast a shadow over 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 detained, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.

Peaceful Engagements in Hyderabad and Mumbai

Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, 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 sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

In between these meetings, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan gatherings 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 Vast Popularity in India

Messi's popularity stems not just from his lengthy international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the highest goal-getter for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that a huge number of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.