Angry fans attending Lionel Messi's tour of India ripped up seats and threw items towards the pitch after his appearance at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium.
Thousands of adoring supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees (£100; $133) to catch a glimpse of the football star, but were left disappointed when he emerged to walk around the pitch, and was obscured by a large group of officials and celebrities.
When the Argentina and Inter Miami forward was whisked away early by security after around 20 minutes, elements of the crowd turned hostile.
West Bengal's chief minister, Mamata Banerjee said she was deeply disturbed and shocked by the events.
Messi is in India for his 'GOAT tour', a series of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.
His tour began with the unveiling of a 70ft statue of himself in Kolkata, which had been assembled over the course of 27 days by a 45-strong crew.
It was unveiled virtually due to security reasons, meaning thousands of fans instead travelled to the city's stadium for a chance to see the footballer.
They were chanting, buying jerseys and wearing I love Messi headbands.
Messi initially walked around the stadium waving to fans, but after his appearance was abruptly ended on Saturday, frustrated fans stormed the pitch and vandalised banners and tents, as others hurled plastic chairs and water bottles.
The 2022 World Cup winner - considered one of football's greatest players of all time - had been expected to play a short exhibition game at the stadium, the AFP news agency reports.
As the situation escalated, many fans voiced their anger. Only leaders and actors were surrounding Messi ... Why did they call us then ... We have got a ticket for 12 thousand rupees, but we were not even able to see his face, said an upset supporter.
One angry fan told the Press Trust of India news agency people had paid the equivalent of a month's salary to see the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.
The police and military personnel were taking selfies, and the management is to blame, added another.
Kolkata is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal and has a large football fanbase in an otherwise cricket-crazed country. In the city, it is common to see hundreds of thousands of fans gather at stadiums at local club derbies.
Banerjee announced an enquiry, apologising to Messi and sports lovers for the incident at the stadium. The [enquiry] committee will conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future, she stated on X.
In the early hours of Saturday, thousands lined the roads and congregated outside the hotel where Messi was staying to try and catch a glimpse of him.
Fans can visit 'Hola Messi' fan zone where there is a life-sized replica Messi sat on a throne, a hall adorned with some of his trophies and a recreation of his Miami home complete with mannequins of the player and his family sat on a balcony.
