Calm End to Lionel Messi's Visit to India In the Wake of Unrest in Kolkata

Football superstar Lionel Messi has finished his three-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, in the wake of a chaotic opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, thousands of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentinian and Inter Miami attacker.

As Messi, joined by Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd chanted his name.

His plane from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, sources reported, and his schedule had to be shortened. On Saturday, angry fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his event there.

An Intense Schedule Across Multiple Cities

Messi had a hectic schedule in India, attending a series 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 remotely unveiled a 21-meter statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the eastern city.

Disastrous Beginning in Football-Loving Kolkata

The tour, however, started with a troubled start after disappointed fans tore seats and flung items towards the pitch at the stadium.

Football is immensely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and thousands of devoted supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.

However, most of them didn't even get to see him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation turned hostile.

"Inept organization of a hyped-up event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "expressed their fury by indulging 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 organizer in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has ordered 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 sharing their delight at seeing the world-famous star online and in media interviews.

Messi also had meetings with several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

In between these meetings, Messi could be seen acknowledging 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 departed on Monday morning on a pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Source of Messi's Great Popularity in India

Messi's fame comes not only from his prolific international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the highest goal-getter for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that countless Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.