Smooth Finish to Messi's India Tour In the Wake of Disorder in Kolkata

Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, following a chaotic opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, thousands of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentina and Inter Miami forward.

As Messi, alongside 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 signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name.

His flight from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, reports stated, and his itinerary had to be trimmed. On Saturday, frustrated fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his visit there.

An Intense Itinerary Spanning Several Metropolises

Messi had a packed schedule in India, attending a string of brand events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the pre-dawn of Saturday.

Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally revealed a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, built over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India.

Troubled Beginning in Football-Loving Kolkata

The tour, however, got off to a disastrous start after frustrated fans tore seats and flung items towards the pitch at the stadium.

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

However, the majority didn't even get to see him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation became tense.

"Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, lack of co-ordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "expressed their fury by engaging in violence."

The disturbance, which captured international headlines, marred 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 taken into custody, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody.

Peaceful Events in Other Cities

Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the international legend online and in media interviews.

Messi also had meetings with several politicians and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

In between these engagements, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan gatherings in stadiums and playing football 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 planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Source of Messi's Vast Popularity in India

Messi's popularity comes not only from his prolific international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that a huge number of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.