Smooth Conclusion to Lionel Messi's Visit to India In the Wake of Kolkata Chaos

Soccer legend Lionel Messi has finished his three-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, in the wake of a chaotic opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, countless fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina 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, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd roared his name.

His flight from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, reports stated, and his schedule had to be cut down. On Saturday, frustrated fans vandalised 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, taking part in a string 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 virtually unveiled a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the city in eastern India.

Disastrous Start in Soccer-Mad Kolkata

The tour, however, got off to a troubled start after angry fans tore seats and hurled items towards the pitch at the stadium.

Football is extremely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and thousands of ardent supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event.

However, most of them didn't even get to see him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation grew violent.

"Faulty planning of a hyped-up event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "released their frustration by resorting to violence."

The unrest, which captured 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 organizer in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.

Peaceful Visits in Other Cities

Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the world-famous star on social media and in press interactions.

Messi also encountered several political figures and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

In between these meetings, Messi could be seen waving to large fan gatherings in stadiums and playing football with groups of children.

There were rumors 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 scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Source of Messi's Vast Appeal in India

Messi's fame comes not only from his long international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that a huge number of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.