Lionel Messi’s India tour ends without incident after Calcutta unrest | OneFootball

Lionel Messi’s whirlwind four-day visit to India concluded peacefully in New Delhi on Monday, following unrest at the opening stop in Calcutta.

According to L'Équipe, he arrived on Friday night and completed four cities in four days, making a half-hour appearance at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium as fans chanted his name.

The world’s most populous nation briefly set aside cricket as Messimania took hold after his Friday arrival in Calcutta. That first event turned chaotic when angry supporters, who saw him only for seconds, ripped out seats and threw them on to the pitch, and police arrested the main organiser.

Hyderabad and Mumbai were calm, as was the finale in New Delhi. With Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, Messi walked the pitch and kicked a ball with local children at the capital’s cricket ground. The trio also received India cricket shirts.

Supporter Kaustav Ghosh said seeing him in person felt like a dream come true. He attended with his wife and two sons in Argentina shirts, and said they had travelled to Russia for the 2018 World Cup but could not get Argentina tickets, so at least they saw Messi here.

The fervour contrasted with the gloom around Indian football. India are ranked 142nd by FIFA, and the Indian Super League faces uncertainty because the federation has yet to secure a new commercial partner after a 10-year deal expired.

Source: L'Équipe