Football superstar Lionel Messi India Tour has been wrapped up in three days with a smooth finale in Delhi, putting behind the chaos that marked his opening appearance in Kolkata.
On Monday, thousands of fans gathered at a stadium in the national capital to catch a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami forward. Messi, accompanied by his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch, kicked balls into the stands, passed with a group of children, and signed autographs as the crowd chanted his name.
Messi’s flight from Mumbai to Delhi was delayed due to fog, according to local media, forcing changes to his schedule. The calm Delhi event stood in sharp contrast to Saturday’s scenes in Kolkata, where angry fans vandalized parts of the stadium after failing to see him properly during his appearance.
Messi had arrived in India early Saturday and followed a packed itinerary across Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. Before heading to Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, he virtually unveiled a 70-foot statue of himself, which had been assembled over 27 days by a 45-member team in the eastern city.
However, the Kolkata event quickly turned ugly. Football enjoys massive popularity in West Bengal, and thousands of fans who paid up to 12,000 rupees for tickets were left disappointed. Messi was surrounded by officials and celebrities during a brief walk around the stadium and was soon escorted away as tensions rose. Fans ripped out seats and threw objects toward the pitch.
An editorial in The Telegraph blamed poor management, lack of coordination, and security lapses, saying the stadium turned into a “battlefield” after fans, denied even a glimpse of Messi, vented their anger through violence. The incident, which made international headlines, cast a shadow over Messi’s first visit to India since 2011 as part of what has been dubbed the ‘GOAT Tour.’
Police later arrested the Kolkata event organizer, Satadru Dutta, who has been remanded to 14 days in police custody.
In contrast, Messi’s visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai passed without incident. Fans shared their excitement online and in media interviews after seeing the global icon. In Mumbai, Messi met Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, while earlier he interacted with Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata and opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad.
Throughout the tour, Messi was seen waving to fans, dribbling the ball with children, and attending promotional events. Reports had suggested a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, but that did not happen, as Modi left the country on an overseas visit on Monday.
Messi’s massive popularity in India comes not only from his decorated career and record-breaking years at Barcelona but also from the deep emotional connection many Indians share with football, often called the beautiful game.