India, Dec. 14 -- What was meant to be a red-letter day for the City of Joy on December 13 turned into a nightmare by noon. Fans who paid hefty sums for tickets to the first leg of Argentina star Lionel Messi's four-city India tour were left fuming after failing to catch even a glimpse of him. A swarm of politicians, VVIPs, security personnel and assorted hangers-on surrounded Messi for selfies, leaving fans frustrated.

The crowd around him was so overwhelming that cameras could not even focus on Messi on the three giant screens installed at the Salt Lake Stadium. And even before chaos fully descended at the iconic venue, a first-hand account revealed that the "overcrowding" had already left the football legend "visibly uncomfortable". ...