🔗 Share this article Calm Finish to Lionel Messi's Visit to India After Unrest in Kolkata Messi concluded his visit to India with an event at a sports arena in Delhi on Monday. Football superstar Lionel Messi has concluded his multi-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, after a disorderly opening in Kolkata. On Monday, countless fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentinian and Inter Miami forward. As Messi, alongside Inter Miami colleagues 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 held up due to fog, local media stated, and his schedule had to be trimmed. On Saturday, angry fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his event there. An Intense Itinerary Spanning Several Metropolises Messi had a packed schedule in India, taking part in a series of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the pre-dawn of Saturday. Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely revealed a 21-meter statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the eastern city. Disastrous Kickoff in Soccer-Mad Kolkata A supporter holds a shirt of Messi at the gathering in Delhi. The tour, however, started with a chaotic start after angry 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 a multitude of ardent supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event. However, most of them didn't even get 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. "Poor management of a much-publicized event, disorganization" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "released their frustration by indulging in violence." The ruckus, which grabbed international headlines, overshadowed 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 police custody. Successful Visits in Hyderabad and Mumbai Messi played football with children at a stadium in Delhi. Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the international legend on social media and in media interviews. Messi also encountered several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi virtually revealed a massive statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi encountered Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these meetings, Messi could be seen greeting large fan crowds in stadiums and playing football with groups of children. There were rumors earlier that Messi would have a meeting with Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister departed on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Reason of Messi's Great Popularity in India Messi's appeal comes not only from his long international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that countless Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.
Messi concluded his visit to India with an event at a sports arena in Delhi on Monday. Football superstar Lionel Messi has concluded his multi-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, after a disorderly opening in Kolkata. On Monday, countless fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentinian and Inter Miami forward. As Messi, alongside Inter Miami colleagues 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 held up due to fog, local media stated, and his schedule had to be trimmed. On Saturday, angry fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his event there. An Intense Itinerary Spanning Several Metropolises Messi had a packed schedule in India, taking part in a series of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the pre-dawn of Saturday. Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely revealed a 21-meter statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the eastern city. Disastrous Kickoff in Soccer-Mad Kolkata A supporter holds a shirt of Messi at the gathering in Delhi. The tour, however, started with a chaotic start after angry 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 a multitude of ardent supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event. However, most of them didn't even get 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. "Poor management of a much-publicized event, disorganization" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "released their frustration by indulging in violence." The ruckus, which grabbed international headlines, overshadowed 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 police custody. Successful Visits in Hyderabad and Mumbai Messi played football with children at a stadium in Delhi. Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the international legend on social media and in media interviews. Messi also encountered several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. Messi virtually revealed a massive statue of himself in Kolkata. Messi encountered Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai. In between these meetings, Messi could be seen greeting large fan crowds in stadiums and playing football with groups of children. There were rumors earlier that Messi would have a meeting with Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister departed on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Reason of Messi's Great Popularity in India Messi's appeal comes not only from his long international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that countless Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.