Lionel Messi Concludes India Tour Following Events in Delhi and Kolkata

Footballer Lionel Messi concluded a three-day tour of India, which included events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi. The tour featured a series of promotional appearances.

Events in Delhi

On Monday, Messi participated in an event at a stadium in Delhi, attended by thousands of individuals. Accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, Messi engaged in on-pitch activities, which included kicking balls into the stands, passing with children, and signing autographs. Attendees chanted his name during this period.

Messi's flight from Mumbai to Delhi experienced delays attributed to fog and reduced visibility, as reported by local media. This resulted in adjustments to his scheduled itinerary.

Kolkata Incidents and Subsequent Events

Messi's tour began on Saturday. Before an event at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium, he virtually unveiled a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, which had been assembled over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city.

The event in Kolkata experienced disruptions, including damage to seating and items being thrown towards the pitch by attendees. Thousands of attendees had purchased tickets, priced up to 12,000 rupees (£100; $133), for the opportunity to see Messi. Accounts indicate that a significant number of attendees had limited visibility of Messi, who was escorted by officials and public figures during a brief stadium walk before being promptly removed as the crowd situation escalated.

Kolkata's The Telegraph newspaper published an editorial stating that the event's 'poor management,' 'lack of coordination,' and 'security lapses' contributed to the stadium environment becoming a 'battlefield.' The editorial also reported that attendees, citing restricted access to Messi, 'vented their anger by indulging in violence.' These disturbances garnered international media attention. The event organizer in Kolkata has since been arrested, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.

This marked Messi's first visit to India since 2011, part of what was designated a 'GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) tour.'

Visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai

Subsequent events in Hyderabad and Mumbai occurred without reported incidents. Attendees in these cities expressed positive reactions to Messi's presence online and in media interviews.