Football legend Lionel Messi’s highly anticipated visit to New Delhi faced disruption on Monday after his flight from Mumbai was delayed due to adverse weather conditions in the national capital, leading to the cancellation of his scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Dense fog over Delhi severely affected operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport, resulting in the cancellation of more than 60 flights and the diversion of several others because of low visibility. Messi’s aircraft was delayed by nearly an hour, impacting the tightly packed schedule planned for the final day of his three-day “GOAT India Tour.”
At the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where fans had gathered in large numbers hours before the event, organisers informed attendees of the delay through on-screen messages, announcing that proceedings would begin later than planned. Despite heightened security and long queues stretching several kilometres around the venue, spectators were asked to wait as the situation unfolded.
Messi’s proposed meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also called off. The meeting, which had a brief protocol window scheduled in Delhi, was cancelled earlier as the Prime Minister embarked on a four-day diplomatic visit to Jordan, Ethiopia and Oman to strengthen bilateral relations with the three countries.
The Delhi event marks the final stop of Messi’s India tour, which has drawn massive crowds and global attention. On Sunday, Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium witnessed an electrifying atmosphere as thousands of fans turned up to see the Argentine icon. Messi was accompanied by his Inter Miami teammates Rodrigo de Paul and Luis Suárez and shared memorable moments with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri.
One of the highlights of the Mumbai event was a special interaction where 60 children were invited onto the pitch for a brief football exchange with Messi, creating unforgettable memories for young fans.
In Delhi, Messi is set to attend a felicitation ceremony at the Kotla grounds, along with a celebrity football match and a football clinic featuring young players from the Minerva Academy. Despite the weather-related delays, enthusiasm among fans remains high as the global football icon wraps up his landmark visit to India.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
