Calm Finish to Lionel Messi's India Tour Following Unrest in Kolkata

Soccer legend Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, following a chaotic opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, countless fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami striker.

As Messi, joined by Inter Miami teammates 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 roared his name.

His flight from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, local media indicated, and his itinerary had to be trimmed. On Saturday, disappointed fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his visit there.

An Intense Agenda Spanning Multiple Cities

Messi had a hectic schedule in India, attending a string of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the pre-dawn of Saturday.

Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely unveiled a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a large crew in the eastern city.

Disastrous Beginning in Soccer-Mad Kolkata

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

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

However, the majority didn't even get to see him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation turned hostile.

"Inept organization of a much-publicized event, lack of co-ordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", 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 called 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.

Peaceful Visits in Other Cities

Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the international legend online and in media interviews.

Messi also had meetings with several political figures and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

In between these interactions, Messi could be seen waving to large fan crowds in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children.

There were speculation 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 Reason of His Immense Appeal in India

Messi's fame is due to more than his lengthy international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the highest goal-getter for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that a huge number of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.