Calm Finish to Messi's India Tour After Unrest in Kolkata

Football superstar Lionel Messi has concluded his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, in the wake of a turbulent opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, countless fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentinian and Inter Miami attacker.

As Messi, alongside Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – sending balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd roared his name.

His plane from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, local media reported, and his agenda had to be cut down. On Saturday, disappointed fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his visit there.

A Busy Itinerary Spanning Several Metropolises

Messi had a busy schedule in India, attending a succession of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the early hours of Saturday.

Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely unveiled a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India.

Disastrous Kickoff in Football-Loving Kolkata

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

Football is hugely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and thousands of ardent supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.

However, many failed to see him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation grew violent.

"Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, disorganization" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "vented their anger 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 called a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.

The event organiser in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.

Successful Visits in Other Cities

Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the world-famous star on social media and in press interactions.

Messi also met several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and 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 reports 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 His Great Appeal in India

Messi's appeal stems not just from his prolific international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the highest goal-getter for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that a huge number of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.