Calm Conclusion to Lionel Messi's Visit to India In the Wake of Kolkata Chaos

Global football icon Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, after a disorderly opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, countless fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentinian and Inter Miami forward.

As Messi, alongside Inter Miami colleagues 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 plane from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, local media reported, and his agenda had to be cut down. On Saturday, disappointed fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his visit there.

An Intense Itinerary Spanning Several Metropolises

Messi had a hectic schedule in India, attending a succession of brand events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the pre-dawn of Saturday.

Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually revealed a massive statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the eastern city.

Disastrous Start in Football-Crazy Kolkata

The tour, however, got off to a chaotic start after frustrated fans ripped up 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 devoted supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event.

However, most of them were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation became tense.

"Poor management of a hyped-up event, poor coordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "vented their anger by engaging in violence."

The ruckus, which grabbed international headlines, overshadowed 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 remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.

Peaceful Engagements in Other Cities

Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the world-famous star on social media and in press interactions.

Messi also encountered 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 interactions, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan gatherings in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children.

There were speculation earlier that Messi would have a meeting with Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister departed on Monday morning on a pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Reason of Messi's Vast Popularity in India

Messi's popularity 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 emotional connection that a huge number of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.