A 70-foot Messi statue in India has been declared unsafe only months after it was installed, which is not ideal for a monument designed to honor a man famous for balance.
The towering tribute to Lionel Messi was erected in Kolkata in December, during the Argentine forward’s GOAT tour of India. Messi, now 38, was greeted by huge crowds during the visit, with millions of fans turning out or following the tour as the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner received the kind of welcome usually reserved for national heroes.
Why officials say the statue has to move
According to BBC Sport, the problem is fairly simple: locals reported seeing the 70-foot structure swaying in the wind.
West Bengal state legislator Sharadwat Mukherjee said the monument had been inspected and could not stay as it is.
“The statue of the Argentine football legend was found [to be] unsafe,” Mukherjee said. “We have noticed that the statue is swaying in the wind.”
Officials now plan to relocate it “at the earliest opportunity.” That may sound straightforward until the words 70 feet tall and busy road enter the same sentence.
Mukherjee acknowledged that moving the statue is “easier said than done,” given both its size and where it currently stands. In other words, taking down a giant Messi is apparently not as smooth as watching Messi take down a defense.
Why Messi has such a following in India
Messi’s popularity in India is not exactly a surprise. Though he is from Argentina, his fame has long since stretched beyond Argentina. For many fans around the world, he is the most likely answer in the endless debate over football’s greatest player.
Supporters of Pelé and Cristiano Ronaldo will continue to argue the point, as they are legally and emotionally required to do, but still have a strong argument. He has won the Ballon d’Or eight times, lifted the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar in 2022, and built a global fanbase that follows him far beyond club football.
That is why a major statue in India made sense as a public gesture, even if the engineering now appears to have been less convincing than the sentiment.
The Kolkata monument was installed around the time Messi visited the country as part of his GOAT tour, a trip built around fan events and public appearances. The statue was meant to be a lasting reminder of that moment. Six months later, officials are trying to make sure it does not become memorable for a different reason.
Messi’s World Cup focus continues
The statue issue comes as Messi’s attention remains on the pitch. Despite sustaining an injury in his previous match for Inter Miami, he is expected to be at the World Cup, which begins on June 11.
Argentina will arrive as defending champion after winning the 2022 tournament in Qatar. For Messi, it is another chance to lead the national team on the biggest stage, even as questions about fitness and age naturally follow a player entering the later stretch of his career.
The 2026 World Cup has already drawn criticism from fans over high ticket prices and costly transport options for certain matches. At the same time, some ticket prices have fallen sharply, including seats for Saudi Arabia vs Cape Verde reportedly dropping to less than the price of a beer.
So, while Messi prepares for another World Cup campaign, one of his largest tributes is preparing for a less glamorous journey: being carefully moved before the wind makes the decision for everyone.
