Smooth End to Messi's Visit to India Following Kolkata Chaos

Global football icon Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, following 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, entered the pitch – sending balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd shouted his name.

His plane from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, reports indicated, and his schedule had to be cut down. On Saturday, disappointed fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his appearance there.

A Busy Schedule Spanning Multiple Cities

Messi had a hectic schedule in India, taking part in a series of brand events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the wee hours of Saturday.

Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually unveiled a 21-meter statue of himself, built over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India.

Chaotic Start in Football-Crazy Kolkata

The tour, however, started with a troubled start after angry fans tore seats and flung 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 paid up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event.

However, most of them failed to see him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation became tense.

"Inept organization of a hyped-up event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "vented their anger by engaging in violence."

The unrest, 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 event organiser in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.

Peaceful Engagements in Hyderabad and Mumbai

Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the international legend on social media and in media interviews.

Messi also met several politicians 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 crowds in stadiums and juggling the ball with groups of children.

There were reports earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister traveled abroad on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Reason of His Vast Fame in India

Messi's fame is due to more than his long international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the emotional connection that a huge number of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.