Smooth Conclusion to Lionel Messi's Visit to India After Kolkata Chaos
Global football icon Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, following a turbulent opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, countless fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami forward.
As Messi, joined by Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – booting balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name.
His flight from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, sources stated, and his agenda had to be cut down. On Saturday, frustrated fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his event there.
An Intense Agenda Spanning Multiple Cities
Messi had a packed schedule in India, participating in a succession of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the early hours of Saturday.
Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally unveiled a massive statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India.
Disastrous Kickoff in Soccer-Mad Kolkata
The tour, however, started with a disastrous start after frustrated fans tore seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium.
Football is extremely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and thousands of adoring supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event.
However, most of them were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation turned hostile.
"Poor management of a highly anticipated event, poor coordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "vented their anger by engaging in violence."
The unrest, which grabbed international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been called a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The organizer in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.
Peaceful Events in Hyderabad and Mumbai
Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the world-famous star online 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.
In between these engagements, Messi could be seen waving to large fan gatherings in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children.
There were speculation earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister left the country on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Source of Messi's Immense Appeal in India
Messi's popularity comes not only from his prolific international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that millions of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.
