🔗 Share this article Calm Finish to Messi's India Tour Following Disorder in Kolkata Messi concluded his visit to India with an appearance at a stadium in Delhi on Monday. Global football icon Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in hazy 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 forward. As Messi, joined 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 delayed due to fog, reports reported, and his schedule had to be trimmed. On Saturday, frustrated fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his visit there. A Packed Itinerary Across Multiple Cities Messi had a hectic schedule in India, taking part in a series of brand events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the early hours of Saturday. Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually unveiled a 21-meter statue of himself, built over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the city in eastern India. Disastrous Start in Football-Crazy Kolkata A supporter displays a shirt of Messi at the gathering in Delhi. The tour, however, began with a troubled start after angry fans destroyed seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium. Football is immensely 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 attend the event. However, the majority failed to see him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation grew violent. "Faulty planning of a much-publicized event, disorganization" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "vented their anger by engaging in violence." The unrest, which grabbed international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been termed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'. The promoter in Kolkata has been arrested, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention. Smooth Engagements in Other Cities Messi kicked a ball with kids at a stadium in Delhi. Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the world-famous star online and in press interactions. Messi also had meetings with several political figures and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi virtually revealed a massive statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi met Indian sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these engagements, Messi could be seen greeting large fan crowds in stadiums and playing football with groups of children. There were reports earlier that Messi would have a meeting with Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister departed on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Reason of Messi's Immense Popularity in India Messi's appeal comes not only from his long international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that a huge number of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.
Messi concluded his visit to India with an appearance at a stadium in Delhi on Monday. Global football icon Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in hazy 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 forward. As Messi, joined 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 delayed due to fog, reports reported, and his schedule had to be trimmed. On Saturday, frustrated fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his visit there. A Packed Itinerary Across Multiple Cities Messi had a hectic schedule in India, taking part in a series of brand events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the early hours of Saturday. Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually unveiled a 21-meter statue of himself, built over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the city in eastern India. Disastrous Start in Football-Crazy Kolkata A supporter displays a shirt of Messi at the gathering in Delhi. The tour, however, began with a troubled start after angry fans destroyed seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium. Football is immensely 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 attend the event. However, the majority failed to see him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation grew violent. "Faulty planning of a much-publicized event, disorganization" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "vented their anger by engaging in violence." The unrest, which grabbed international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been termed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'. The promoter in Kolkata has been arrested, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention. Smooth Engagements in Other Cities Messi kicked a ball with kids at a stadium in Delhi. Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the world-famous star online and in press interactions. Messi also had meetings with several political figures and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi virtually revealed a massive statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi met Indian sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these engagements, Messi could be seen greeting large fan crowds in stadiums and playing football with groups of children. There were reports earlier that Messi would have a meeting with Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister departed on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Reason of Messi's Immense Popularity in India Messi's appeal comes not only from his long international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that a huge number of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.