Peaceful Conclusion to Lionel Messi's India Tour After Disorder in Kolkata

Global football icon Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, following a chaotic opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, thousands of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentina and Inter Miami forward.

As Messi, joined by Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name.

His plane from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, reports stated, and his itinerary had to be cut down. On Saturday, angry fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his event there.

A Packed Agenda Across Several Metropolises

Messi had a packed schedule in India, participating in a string of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the wee hours of Saturday.

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

Chaotic Beginning in Football-Crazy Kolkata

The tour, however, got off to a chaotic start after frustrated fans tore seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium.

Football is immensely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and thousands of devoted supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.

However, many were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation became tense.

"Faulty planning of a much-publicized event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "released their frustration by resorting to violence."

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

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

Peaceful Engagements in Hyderabad and Mumbai

Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the global icon online and in press interactions.

Messi also met several political figures and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

In between these meetings, Messi could be seen greeting large fan crowds in stadiums and juggling the ball with groups of children.

There were reports 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 Messi's Great Appeal in India

Messi's appeal is due to more than his lengthy international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that millions of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.