Online Reporter
Colourful confetti showered down on Lionel Messi as he ended his whirlwind four-city tour of India with a cameo at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday, where a near-capacity crowd shouted themselves hoarse during his half-hour appearance.
The world’s most populous nation had temporarily put aside its cricket obsession and slipped into a ‘Messi-mania’ since the Argentine eight-times Ballon d’Or winner arrived late on Friday with thousands of fans waiting outside the airport in Kolkata.
Saturday’s event in Kolkata, however, descended into chaos with irate fans ripping up seats and invading the pitch after local politicians had hijacked the event. The chief organiser was detained by police.
Events in Hyderabad and Mumbai featuring Messi, 38, and his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul went ahead without issues and it was no different in Delhi.
The trio walked round the field occasionally kicking a ball into the packed stands, and engaged in kickabouts with local children at a stadium that regularly hosts international cricket matches.
“It was a dream-come-true moment for us to watch him in flesh and blood,” said Messi and Argentina fan Kaustav Ghosh, who attended the event along with his wife and two sons.
“We travelled to Russia for the 2018 World Cup but could not get tickets for any of the Argentina matches there. At least we saw Messi here,” said Ghosh, whose entire family turned up in Argentina jerseys.
Cricket, however, did manage to sneak into the proceedings.
Messi, Suarez and De Paul received Indian cricket team jerseys from International Cricket Council chairman Jay Shah, along with tickets for next year’s Twenty20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
The hype around Messi’s visit is a contrast to the general sense of gloom around the state of Indian football.
The country ranks a lowly 142nd in FIFA’s world rankings, and the Indian Super League is in limbo as the All India Football Federation failed to find a new commercial partner after its 10-year deal with the previous one expired. − Reuters
