Smooth Conclusion to Lionel Messi's India Tour In the Wake of Unrest in Kolkata

Soccer legend Lionel Messi has finished his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, after a chaotic opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, a multitude of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami striker.

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

His flight from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, reports indicated, and his agenda had to be shortened. On Saturday, frustrated fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his appearance there.

A Busy Schedule Across Several Metropolises

Messi had a packed schedule in India, attending a series of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the early hours of Saturday.

Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally revealed a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, built over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the eastern city.

Disastrous Beginning in Football-Loving Kolkata

The tour, however, got off to a troubled start after disappointed fans ripped up 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 adoring supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event.

However, most of them were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation turned hostile.

"Inept organization of a much-publicized event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence."

The ruckus, 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 arrested, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.

Smooth Visits in Other Cities

Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the global icon online and in media interviews.

Messi also had meetings with several politicians and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

In between these engagements, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan gatherings in stadiums and playing football 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 Messi's Vast Appeal in India

Messi's appeal is due to more than his long international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that countless Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.