🔗 Share this article Smooth End to Messi's India Tour In the Wake of Unrest in Kolkata Messi finished his visit to India with an appearance at a sports arena in Delhi on Monday. Global football icon Lionel Messi has concluded his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, after a chaotic opening in Kolkata. On Monday, a multitude of fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami attacker. As Messi, alongside Inter Miami teammates 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 shouted his name. His plane from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, reports reported, and his agenda had to be shortened. On Saturday, frustrated fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his visit there. A Packed Agenda Spanning Multiple Cities Messi had a busy schedule in India, participating in a series of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving 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, constructed over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the eastern city. Troubled Kickoff in Soccer-Mad Kolkata An admirer shows 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 hugely 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, most of them were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation became tense. "Faulty planning of a hyped-up event, lack of co-ordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "released their frustration by engaging in violence." The ruckus, which made 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 promoter in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody. Smooth Engagements in Other Cities Messi kicked a ball with children at a sports arena in Delhi. Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the world-famous star online and in press interactions. Messi also encountered several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi virtually presented a towering statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi had a meeting with Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these meetings, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan crowds in stadiums and juggling the ball 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 pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Source of Messi's Immense Fame in India Messi's popularity 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 millions of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.
Messi finished his visit to India with an appearance at a sports arena in Delhi on Monday. Global football icon Lionel Messi has concluded his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, after a chaotic opening in Kolkata. On Monday, a multitude of fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami attacker. As Messi, alongside Inter Miami teammates 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 shouted his name. His plane from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, reports reported, and his agenda had to be shortened. On Saturday, frustrated fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his visit there. A Packed Agenda Spanning Multiple Cities Messi had a busy schedule in India, participating in a series of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving 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, constructed over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the eastern city. Troubled Kickoff in Soccer-Mad Kolkata An admirer shows 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 hugely 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, most of them were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation became tense. "Faulty planning of a hyped-up event, lack of co-ordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "released their frustration by engaging in violence." The ruckus, which made 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 promoter in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody. Smooth Engagements in Other Cities Messi kicked a ball with children at a sports arena in Delhi. Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the world-famous star online and in press interactions. Messi also encountered several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi virtually presented a towering statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi had a meeting with Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these meetings, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan crowds in stadiums and juggling the ball 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 pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Source of Messi's Immense Fame in India Messi's popularity 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 millions of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.