Giant Messi statue unveiled... with suggestively positioned World Cup trophy Archive | Article
Luke EdwardsFri, June 26, 2026 at 6:51 AM CDT
Lionel Messi has been honoured with an 85ft statue that features a large World Cup trophy covering his groin.
The new statue in Cutral Có, a remote town in Patagonia, Argentina was built by local artists and is made from 70 tons of steel.
Messi is captured raising one hand in the air, a finger pointing to the sky, in an apparent goal celebration, but it is the position of the World Cup trophy, which Argentina won in Qatar four years ago, that has raised eyebrows.
Given the shape of the World Cup, the provocative placement of the trophy between Messi’s legs has caused much amusement. Thankfully, Messi does still have his shorts on.
Aldo Beroisa, the statue’s 61-year-old local sculptor, told the Associated Press: “He is Argentina’s natural ambassador. For me, it was very important, not only as an artist but as an Argentine.”
Messi’s statue from the back and front
The statue is the tallest built to honour Messi, surpassing the 70ft one that was erected in Kolkata last December before it was taken down last month for safety reasons. The monument was removed because it was swaying in the wind.
Messi’s statue in Kolkata had to be removed because it was swaying in the wind - Dibyangshu Sarkar
That is not the first time a Messi statue has failed to stand the test of time. A bronze figure unveiled in Buenos Aires in 2016 was damaged by vandals a year later, with its head, arms and body stolen. Also in 2017, a Luis Suárez statue in Salto, Uruguay, was tipped off its metal base.
This latest Messi statue is another example of artists not getting footballing tributes quite right.
In 2017, there was a grand unveiling of a bust of Ronaldo at Madeira airport but it was roundly mocked for the Portugal icon’s squashed features and pained expression.
A sculpture of Mohamed Salah revealed in 2018 was also derided for looking more like Art Garfunkel than the Egypt striker.
A statue honouring Southampton legend Ted Bates, which cost £102,000, was pulled less than a week after going on display at St Mary’s in 2007. That followed criticism of the artwork because of a poor facial likeness and limbs being out of proportion.
At least those statues were displayed as soon as they were completed. A £7,200 sculpture of England captain Harry Kane sat in storage for five years because Waltham Forest Council could not find a suitable location for it until 2024.
When the metallic Kane was finally positioned at Peter May Sports Centre in Walthamstow, it was criticised for being unflattering.
