🔗 Share this article Smooth Finish to Messi's Visit to India Following Unrest in Kolkata Messi concluded his India tour with an event at a stadium in Delhi on Monday. Global football icon Lionel Messi has concluded his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, after a disorderly opening in Kolkata. On Monday, thousands of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami forward. As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – booting balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd roared his name. His aircraft from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, reports stated, and his itinerary had to be shortened. On Saturday, frustrated fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his appearance there. An Intense Agenda Spanning Several Metropolises Messi had a busy schedule in India, taking part in a succession of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the pre-dawn of Saturday. Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely presented a massive statue of himself, built over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India. Troubled Beginning in Football-Crazy Kolkata A supporter holds a shirt of Messi at the event in Delhi. The tour, however, began with a chaotic start after angry fans destroyed seats and threw 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 paid up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event. However, many failed to see him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation became tense. "Inept organization of a much-publicized event, disorganization" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence." The disturbance, 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 organizer in Kolkata has been arrested, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody. Smooth Events in Other Cities Messi kicked a ball with kids at a stadium in Delhi. Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the global icon online and in press interactions. Messi also had meetings with several political figures and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi remotely revealed a towering statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi encountered Indian sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these engagements, Messi could be seen greeting large fan assemblies in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children. There were reports earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister left the country on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Source of His Great Appeal in India Messi's popularity is due to more than his prolific international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that a huge number of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.
Messi concluded his India tour with an event at a stadium in Delhi on Monday. Global football icon Lionel Messi has concluded his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, after a disorderly opening in Kolkata. On Monday, thousands of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami forward. As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – booting balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd roared his name. His aircraft from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, reports stated, and his itinerary had to be shortened. On Saturday, frustrated fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his appearance there. An Intense Agenda Spanning Several Metropolises Messi had a busy schedule in India, taking part in a succession of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the pre-dawn of Saturday. Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely presented a massive statue of himself, built over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India. Troubled Beginning in Football-Crazy Kolkata A supporter holds a shirt of Messi at the event in Delhi. The tour, however, began with a chaotic start after angry fans destroyed seats and threw 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 paid up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event. However, many failed to see him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation became tense. "Inept organization of a much-publicized event, disorganization" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence." The disturbance, 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 organizer in Kolkata has been arrested, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody. Smooth Events in Other Cities Messi kicked a ball with kids at a stadium in Delhi. Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the global icon online and in press interactions. Messi also had meetings with several political figures and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi remotely revealed a towering statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi encountered Indian sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these engagements, Messi could be seen greeting large fan assemblies in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children. There were reports earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister left the country on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Source of His Great Appeal in India Messi's popularity is due to more than his prolific international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that a huge number of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.