The statue honoring World Cup winner Lionel Messi, unveiled during India’s GOAT tour, is in a precarious position on a busy Kolkata road.
Published May 27, 2026
A giant statue of soccer superstar Lionel Messi, erected in India to commemorate his visit to the country last year, will be removed because it is “swaying in the wind”, a lawmaker has announced.
Workers climbed the 21-metre (70-foot) golden statue in the eastern city of Kolkata in West Bengal state and secured it with ropes over its shoulders.
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The sculpture, which shows the 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami player holding up the World Cup trophy, was unveiled during Messi’s GOAT tour in India in December.
But West Bengal Congress leader Sharadwat Mukherjee said it was no longer safe.
“The statue of the Argentine football legend in Kolkata has been found unsafe by West Bengal government engineers,” he told AFP news agency.
“I noticed that the statue was swaying in the wind.”
On Wednesday, workers tried to use ropes to secure the statue, which towers over a busy road.
Mukherjee said it was unclear when the outbreak would be quelled.
“Removal proved to be easier said than done,” he said. “We plan to remove the statue at the earliest opportunity.”
He did not say whether the statue would be reinstalled elsewhere.
Argentina is scheduled to begin its World Cup campaign on June 16th against Algeria in Kansas City.
Messi has not officially announced plans to play in the World Cup, but is widely expected to return for a record-tying sixth appearance.
He continues to be the team’s talisman as they defend the title they won in Qatar four years ago.
India, a country of 1.4 billion people, is a cricket powerhouse but struggles on the soccer pitch, ranking 142nd in the FIFA rankings.
But soccer is the second most popular sport in the country, according to a study by data firm Nielsen released Wednesday.
