Peaceful Finish to Lionel Messi's India Tour Following Kolkata Chaos

Global football icon Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, following a turbulent opening in Kolkata.

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

As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd chanted his name.

His plane from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, sources stated, and his itinerary had to be cut down. On Saturday, frustrated fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his event there.

A Packed Schedule Spanning Several Metropolises

Messi had a packed schedule in India, attending a succession of promotional 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 presented a 21-meter statue of himself, built over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India.

Chaotic Start in Soccer-Mad Kolkata

The tour, however, began with a troubled start after disappointed fans destroyed seats and flung items towards the pitch at the stadium.

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

However, many were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was accompanied 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 much-publicized event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence."

The ruckus, which made international headlines, marred Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been termed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.

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

Peaceful Visits in Hyderabad and Mumbai

Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the international legend online 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 meetings, Messi could be seen greeting large fan gatherings in stadiums and juggling 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 traveled abroad on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.

The Root of Messi's Immense Appeal in India

Messi's appeal comes not only 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 referred to as the beautiful game.