🔗 Share this article Smooth End to Lionel Messi's Visit to India Following Disorder in Kolkata Messi finished his India tour with an appearance at a stadium in Delhi on Monday. Global football icon Lionel Messi has concluded his multi-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, after a chaotic opening in Kolkata. On Monday, a multitude of 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, entered the pitch – booting balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name. His flight from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, reports stated, and his agenda had to be cut down. On Saturday, frustrated fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his event there. A Packed Schedule Spanning Several Metropolises Messi had a busy schedule in India, attending a series of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the wee hours of Saturday. Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually unveiled a 21-meter statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India. Disastrous Kickoff in Football-Loving Kolkata A supporter holds a jersey of Messi at the event in Delhi. The tour, however, got off to a troubled start after frustrated fans tore seats and hurled items towards the pitch at the stadium. Football is hugely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and thousands of devoted supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event. However, most of them were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation grew violent. "Poor management of a hyped-up event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "expressed their fury 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 dubbed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'. The event organiser in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody. Peaceful Engagements in Hyderabad and Mumbai Messi played football with kids at a sports arena in Delhi. Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the world-famous star online 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 cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi digitally presented a 70ft statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi met Indian sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these engagements, Messi could be seen waving to large fan assemblies in stadiums and dribbling the ball 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 planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Root of Messi's Great Appeal in India Messi's fame comes not only from his prolific international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the highest goal-getter for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that a huge number of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.
Messi finished his India tour with an appearance at a stadium in Delhi on Monday. Global football icon Lionel Messi has concluded his multi-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, after a chaotic opening in Kolkata. On Monday, a multitude of 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, entered the pitch – booting balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name. His flight from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, reports stated, and his agenda had to be cut down. On Saturday, frustrated fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his event there. A Packed Schedule Spanning Several Metropolises Messi had a busy schedule in India, attending a series of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the wee hours of Saturday. Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually unveiled a 21-meter statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India. Disastrous Kickoff in Football-Loving Kolkata A supporter holds a jersey of Messi at the event in Delhi. The tour, however, got off to a troubled start after frustrated fans tore seats and hurled items towards the pitch at the stadium. Football is hugely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and thousands of devoted supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event. However, most of them were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation grew violent. "Poor management of a hyped-up event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "expressed their fury 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 dubbed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'. The event organiser in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody. Peaceful Engagements in Hyderabad and Mumbai Messi played football with kids at a sports arena in Delhi. Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the world-famous star online 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 cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi digitally presented a 70ft statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi met Indian sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these engagements, Messi could be seen waving to large fan assemblies in stadiums and dribbling the ball 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 planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Root of Messi's Great Appeal in India Messi's fame comes not only from his prolific international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the highest goal-getter for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that a huge number of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.