Kolkata will unveil what local authorities describe as the world’s tallest statue dedicated to Lionel Messi, a 70-foot or more than 20-metre iron structure, built by a city sports club, coinciding with the Argentine footballer’s arrival in India.
The work, located in the Lake Town neighborhood, represents Messi lifting the World Cup and, according to the authors, it was completed in approximately 40 days, with the final finishing touches still underway.
“This is a 70-foot statue. There is no other statue of Messi so big. We built it in 40 days.”
The inauguration will mark the beginning of the Argentine player’s visit to India, as part of the ‘GOAT Tour’, with which Messi will tour some of the country’s main cities over three days — first Kolkata, and then Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.
There is no other statue dedicated to Leo Messi of comparable dimensions
West Bengal Minister Sujit Bose, who also heads the organising club, pointed out that there is no other statue dedicated to the player of comparable dimensions. Bose recalled that the same club has paid tribute to football figures who visited Calcutta, such as Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho and Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
“This is a 70-foot statue. There is no other statue of Messi so big. We built it in 40 days,” Bose told local media.
The organizers explained that the inauguration will take place virtually, as Messi will not be able to travel to the site for security and public order reasons, although his arrival in the city is planned as part of his visit to the country.
The local club that has organised its construction, Sree Bhumi Sporting Club, said the tribute seeks to recognise the wide fan base the player maintains in West Bengal, a region with a deep-rooted footballing tradition.
Support for Messi in the region is a well-established phenomenon in Bengal – both on the Indian and Bangladeshi sides – where Argentine soccer and the figure of the striker reach high levels of popularity and their matches usually attract large numbers of fans.
During the tour, Messi will unveil the statue and a mural dedicated to him in Kolkata, play a celebrity match in Hyderabad, attend a charity event in Mumbai and hold meetings with authorities and young footballers in different cities, according to the preliminary programme released by the organisation.
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