🔗 Share this article Calm End to Messi's Visit to India In the Wake of Unrest in Kolkata Messi finished his visit to India with an appearance at a sports arena in Delhi on Monday. Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, following a disorderly opening in Kolkata. On Monday, a multitude of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami striker. As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name. His plane from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, sources indicated, and his itinerary had to be trimmed. On Saturday, frustrated fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his visit there. A Packed Schedule Spanning Multiple Cities Messi had a hectic schedule in India, taking part in a string of brand events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the pre-dawn of Saturday. Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally presented a 21-meter statue of himself, built over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the city in eastern India. Disastrous Start in Soccer-Mad Kolkata A fan displays a jersey of Messi at the event in Delhi. The tour, however, began with a troubled start after frustrated fans tore seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium. Football is hugely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and a multitude of ardent supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event. However, the majority 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 quickly whisked away as the situation grew violent. "Poor management of a much-publicized event, disorganization" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "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 termed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'. The event organiser in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody. Successful Visits in Hyderabad and Mumbai Messi had a kickabout with children at a sports arena in Delhi. Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the global icon online and in media interviews. Messi also had meetings with several political figures and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi remotely revealed a 70ft statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi encountered Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these meetings, Messi could be seen waving to large fan crowds in stadiums and playing football 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 planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Root of His Great Fame in India Messi's popularity stems not just from his lengthy international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that millions of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.
Messi finished his visit to India with an appearance at a sports arena in Delhi on Monday. Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, following a disorderly opening in Kolkata. On Monday, a multitude of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami striker. As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name. His plane from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, sources indicated, and his itinerary had to be trimmed. On Saturday, frustrated fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his visit there. A Packed Schedule Spanning Multiple Cities Messi had a hectic schedule in India, taking part in a string of brand events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the pre-dawn of Saturday. Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally presented a 21-meter statue of himself, built over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the city in eastern India. Disastrous Start in Soccer-Mad Kolkata A fan displays a jersey of Messi at the event in Delhi. The tour, however, began with a troubled start after frustrated fans tore seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium. Football is hugely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and a multitude of ardent supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event. However, the majority 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 quickly whisked away as the situation grew violent. "Poor management of a much-publicized event, disorganization" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "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 termed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'. The event organiser in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody. Successful Visits in Hyderabad and Mumbai Messi had a kickabout with children at a sports arena in Delhi. Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the global icon online and in media interviews. Messi also had meetings with several political figures and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi remotely revealed a 70ft statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi encountered Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these meetings, Messi could be seen waving to large fan crowds in stadiums and playing football 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 planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Root of His Great Fame in India Messi's popularity stems not just from his lengthy international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that millions of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.