Soccer legend Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, in the wake of a disorderly opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, a multitude of fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentina and Inter Miami attacker.
As Messi, alongside Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd chanted his name.
His aircraft from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, sources reported, and his agenda had to be cut down. On Saturday, disappointed fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his visit there.
A Busy Schedule Spanning Several Metropolises
Messi had a hectic schedule in India, attending a series of brand events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the pre-dawn of Saturday.
Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally unveiled a 21-meter statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India.
Disastrous Kickoff in Football-Crazy Kolkata
The tour, however, began with a chaotic start after frustrated fans destroyed seats and flung 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 witness the event.
However, most of them didn't even get 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 became tense.
"Poor management of a highly anticipated event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "vented their anger by indulging in violence."
The ruckus, which captured 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 organizer in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.
Smooth Events in Other Cities
Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the international legend online and in press interactions.
Messi also had meetings with several politicians and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader 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 meet 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 Messi's Vast Appeal in India
Messi's appeal is due to more than his lengthy international career and extensive 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 called the beautiful game.
