π Share this article Peaceful End to Lionel Messi's Visit to India In the Wake of Kolkata Chaos Messi finished his visit to India with an appearance at a stadium in Delhi on Monday. Global football icon Lionel Messi has finished his three-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, following a chaotic opening in Kolkata. On Monday, countless fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami forward. As Messi, alongside Inter Miami team-mates Luis SuΓ‘rez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch β sending balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures β the crowd chanted his name. His plane from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, sources reported, and his agenda had to be trimmed. On Saturday, disappointed fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his event there. A Busy Itinerary Across Several Metropolises Messi had a busy schedule in India, taking part in a string 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 virtually revealed a massive statue of himself, built over 27 days by a large crew in the eastern city. Troubled Kickoff in Soccer-Mad Kolkata An admirer displays a shirt of Messi at the event in Delhi. The tour, however, began with a disastrous start after angry fans tore seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium. Football is immensely popular in West Bengal state β of which Kolkata is the capital β and countless devoted supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event. However, many were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation became tense. "Inept organization of a highly anticipated event, disorganization" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans β not allowed even a sight of Messi β "released their frustration by engaging in violence." The disturbance, which grabbed 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 detained, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention. Smooth Events in Hyderabad and Mumbai Messi kicked a ball with youngsters at a sports arena in Delhi. Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the international legend on social media and in press interactions. Messi also met several political figures and celebrities β film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi digitally unveiled a massive statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi encountered Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these meetings, Messi could be seen greeting large fan crowds 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 departed on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Source of His Vast Fame in India Messi's popularity comes not only from his lengthy international career and extensive TV coverage of European football β he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona β but also the emotional connection that millions of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.
Messi finished his visit to India with an appearance at a stadium in Delhi on Monday. Global football icon Lionel Messi has finished his three-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, following a chaotic opening in Kolkata. On Monday, countless fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami forward. As Messi, alongside Inter Miami team-mates Luis SuΓ‘rez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch β sending balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures β the crowd chanted his name. His plane from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, sources reported, and his agenda had to be trimmed. On Saturday, disappointed fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his event there. A Busy Itinerary Across Several Metropolises Messi had a busy schedule in India, taking part in a string 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 virtually revealed a massive statue of himself, built over 27 days by a large crew in the eastern city. Troubled Kickoff in Soccer-Mad Kolkata An admirer displays a shirt of Messi at the event in Delhi. The tour, however, began with a disastrous start after angry fans tore seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium. Football is immensely popular in West Bengal state β of which Kolkata is the capital β and countless devoted supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event. However, many were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation became tense. "Inept organization of a highly anticipated event, disorganization" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans β not allowed even a sight of Messi β "released their frustration by engaging in violence." The disturbance, which grabbed 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 detained, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention. Smooth Events in Hyderabad and Mumbai Messi kicked a ball with youngsters at a sports arena in Delhi. Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the international legend on social media and in press interactions. Messi also met several political figures and celebrities β film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi digitally unveiled a massive statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi encountered Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these meetings, Messi could be seen greeting large fan crowds 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 departed on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Source of His Vast Fame in India Messi's popularity comes not only from his lengthy international career and extensive TV coverage of European football β he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona β but also the emotional connection that millions of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.