Peaceful Finish to Messi's Visit to India Following Kolkata Chaos
Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, in the wake of a chaotic opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, thousands of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami striker.
As Messi, alongside Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on 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, local media stated, and his schedule had to be cut down. On Saturday, frustrated fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his visit there.
An Intense Itinerary Across Multiple Cities
Messi had a hectic schedule in India, taking part in a succession of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the early hours of Saturday.
Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually presented a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, built over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the city in eastern India.
Disastrous Kickoff in Football-Loving Kolkata
The tour, however, started with a chaotic start after angry fans tore 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 countless adoring supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event.
However, many didn't even get to see him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation turned hostile.
"Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, poor coordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "released their frustration by engaging in violence."
The disturbance, which captured international headlines, cast a shadow over 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 taken into custody, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.
Smooth Visits in Other Cities
Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the global icon on social media and in media interviews.
Messi also had meetings with several political figures and celebrities – Bollywood star 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 waving to large fan assemblies 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 traveled abroad on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Reason of His Vast Popularity in India
Messi's fame stems not just from his long international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that a huge number of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.
