Smooth End to Messi's Visit to India Following Kolkata Chaos
Global football icon Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in hazy Delhi, in the wake of a chaotic opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, countless fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentina and Inter Miami striker.
As Messi, joined by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd chanted his name.
His aircraft from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, reports indicated, and his agenda had to be shortened. On Saturday, disappointed fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his visit there.
A Packed Itinerary Spanning Several Metropolises
Messi had a busy schedule in India, attending a succession of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the early hours of Saturday.
Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally revealed a massive statue of himself, built over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India.
Chaotic Beginning in Football-Loving Kolkata
The tour, however, got off to a chaotic start after frustrated fans destroyed seats and hurled 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 attend the event.
However, the majority failed to see him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation turned hostile.
"Inept organization of a much-publicized event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "expressed their fury by engaging in violence."
The unrest, which captured international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been dubbed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The organizer in Kolkata has been arrested, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.
Successful Events in Hyderabad and Mumbai
Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the international legend on social media and in media interviews.
Messi also had meetings with several politicians 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 interactions, Messi could be seen waving to large fan gatherings in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children.
There were speculation earlier that Messi would meet 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 Immense Appeal in India
Messi's fame comes not only from his lengthy international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that countless Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.