🔗 Share this article Smooth End to Messi's Visit to India In the Wake of Unrest in Kolkata Messi concluded his India tour with an engagement at a stadium in Delhi on Monday. Football superstar Lionel Messi has concluded his three-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, after a turbulent opening in Kolkata. On Monday, a multitude of fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami attacker. As Messi, joined by Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd shouted his name. His aircraft from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, reports indicated, and his agenda had to be shortened. On Saturday, angry fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his event there. An Intense Agenda Spanning Multiple Cities Messi had a busy schedule in India, participating in a succession of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the pre-dawn of Saturday. Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally revealed a 21-meter statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India. Chaotic Beginning in Soccer-Mad Kolkata A supporter shows a shirt of Messi at the gathering in Delhi. The tour, however, began with a chaotic start after disappointed fans tore seats and hurled items towards the pitch at the stadium. Football is hugely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and countless ardent supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event. However, the majority 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 grew violent. "Faulty planning of a hyped-up event, poor coordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "vented their anger by indulging in violence." The disturbance, which captured international headlines, cast a shadow over Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been dubbed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'. The organizer in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody. Peaceful Visits in Hyderabad and Mumbai Messi kicked a ball with youngsters at a stadium in Delhi. Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the global icon online and in press interactions. Messi also met several politicians and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi digitally revealed a towering statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi had a meeting with Indian sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these meetings, Messi could be seen greeting large fan gatherings in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children. There were rumors earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister departed on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Root of Messi's Great Appeal in India Messi's fame stems not just from his prolific 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 known as the beautiful game.
Messi concluded his India tour with an engagement at a stadium in Delhi on Monday. Football superstar Lionel Messi has concluded his three-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, after a turbulent opening in Kolkata. On Monday, a multitude of fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami attacker. As Messi, joined by Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd shouted his name. His aircraft from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, reports indicated, and his agenda had to be shortened. On Saturday, angry fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his event there. An Intense Agenda Spanning Multiple Cities Messi had a busy schedule in India, participating in a succession of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the pre-dawn of Saturday. Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally revealed a 21-meter statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India. Chaotic Beginning in Soccer-Mad Kolkata A supporter shows a shirt of Messi at the gathering in Delhi. The tour, however, began with a chaotic start after disappointed fans tore seats and hurled items towards the pitch at the stadium. Football is hugely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and countless ardent supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event. However, the majority 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 grew violent. "Faulty planning of a hyped-up event, poor coordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "vented their anger by indulging in violence." The disturbance, which captured international headlines, cast a shadow over Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been dubbed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'. The organizer in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody. Peaceful Visits in Hyderabad and Mumbai Messi kicked a ball with youngsters at a stadium in Delhi. Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the global icon online and in press interactions. Messi also met several politicians and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi digitally revealed a towering statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi had a meeting with Indian sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these meetings, Messi could be seen greeting large fan gatherings in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children. There were rumors earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister departed on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Root of Messi's Great Appeal in India Messi's fame stems not just from his prolific 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 known as the beautiful game.