🔗 Share this article Calm Conclusion to Messi's Visit to India After Kolkata Chaos Messi finished his India tour with an engagement at a sports arena in Delhi on Monday. Football superstar Lionel Messi has concluded his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, after a disorderly opening in Kolkata. On Monday, thousands of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentinian and Inter Miami forward. As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd chanted his name. His plane from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, local media stated, and his itinerary had to be cut down. On Saturday, disappointed fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his appearance there. An Intense Itinerary Across Several Metropolises Messi had a hectic schedule in India, attending a series of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the wee hours of Saturday. Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally revealed a 21-meter statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India. Chaotic Start in Football-Crazy Kolkata An admirer shows a shirt of Messi at the gathering in Delhi. The tour, however, began with a troubled start after angry fans ripped up seats and threw 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, many didn't even get 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 turned hostile. "Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "released their frustration by resorting to violence." The ruckus, which made international headlines, overshadowed 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 sent 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 visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the global icon on social media and in press interactions. Messi also had meetings with 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 revealed a towering 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 gatherings in stadiums and playing football with groups of children. There were reports earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister traveled abroad on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Source of His Immense Fame in India Messi's fame comes not only from his prolific international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the emotional connection that millions of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.
Messi finished his India tour with an engagement at a sports arena in Delhi on Monday. Football superstar Lionel Messi has concluded his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, after a disorderly opening in Kolkata. On Monday, thousands of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentinian and Inter Miami forward. As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd chanted his name. His plane from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, local media stated, and his itinerary had to be cut down. On Saturday, disappointed fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his appearance there. An Intense Itinerary Across Several Metropolises Messi had a hectic schedule in India, attending a series of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the wee hours of Saturday. Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally revealed a 21-meter statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India. Chaotic Start in Football-Crazy Kolkata An admirer shows a shirt of Messi at the gathering in Delhi. The tour, however, began with a troubled start after angry fans ripped up seats and threw 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, many didn't even get 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 turned hostile. "Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "released their frustration by resorting to violence." The ruckus, which made international headlines, overshadowed 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 sent 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 visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the global icon on social media and in press interactions. Messi also had meetings with 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 revealed a towering 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 gatherings in stadiums and playing football with groups of children. There were reports earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister traveled abroad on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Source of His Immense Fame in India Messi's fame comes not only from his prolific international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the emotional connection that millions of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.