Football superstar Lionel Messi has concluded his three-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, in the wake of a turbulent opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, a multitude of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentinian and Inter Miami forward.
As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami team-mates 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 flight from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, local media stated, and his itinerary had to be trimmed. On Saturday, disappointed fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his appearance there.
An Intense Itinerary Spanning Several Metropolises
Messi had a hectic schedule in India, participating in a succession of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the early hours of Saturday.
Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally presented a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, built over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India.
Chaotic Kickoff in Football-Loving Kolkata
The tour, however, started with a disastrous start after frustrated 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 thousands of ardent supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.
However, most of them failed to see him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation grew violent.
"Inept organization of a hyped-up event, disorganization" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "released their frustration by engaging in violence."
The disturbance, which made international headlines, cast a shadow over Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been called a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The promoter in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.
Smooth Events in Other Cities
Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the world-famous star online and in media interviews.
Messi also had meetings with several political figures and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.
In between these meetings, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan gatherings in stadiums and juggling 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 left the country on Monday morning on a pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Source of His Great Fame in India
Messi's popularity stems not just from his prolific international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that millions of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.
