A golden statue of Lionel Messi erected in India to mark his visit last year is now “swaying in the wind” and will be taken down, a state legislator said.
Statue in Kolkata deemed unsafe
Workers have been working around the 21-metre, golden-coloured monument in Kolkata, in West Bengal’s eastern region, climbing up to try to stabilise it. Using ropes, they wrapped the sculpture’s shoulders as they attempted to secure it.
The figure, which depicts the 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami forward lifting the World Cup trophy, was unveiled during Messi’s “GOAT Tour of India” in December.
Lawmaker orders removal amid concerns
West Bengal legislator Sharadwat Mukherjee said the installation was no longer considered safe. He stated that engineers from the West Bengal government had identified the statue as unsafe and that officials had observed the monument moving in windy conditions.
- Engineers from the West Bengal government found the statue unsafe.
- Mukherjee said the statue was noticed “swaying in the wind.”
- Ropes were used on Wednesday in an attempt to secure it, with the statue towering over a busy road.
Mukherjee added that it was unclear when the statue would come down, but insisted the plan to remove it would move forward as soon as possible. He said removal had proven harder than it initially sounded and that officials were aiming to take the monument down at the earliest opportunity.
He did not confirm whether the statue would be re-erected at a different location after removal.
Messi’s World Cup focus and India’s football landscape
While the statue faces removal, Messi’s football future remains a major talking point. Argentina are scheduled to begin their World Cup campaign on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City.
- Argentina’s World Cup opener is set for June 16 versus Algeria in Kansas City.
- Messi has not officially confirmed his World Cup plans.
- He is widely expected to return for what would be a record-equaling sixth appearance at the tournament.
Messi remains central to Argentina’s bid to defend the World Cup title they won in Qatar four years ago.
In India, the sport environment is shaped by cricket dominance, with the country home to around 1.4 billion people. Despite that, football has struggled to match cricket’s popularity, and India currently sits 142nd in the FIFA rankings.
Even so, football is still the nation’s second most popular sport. Nielsen research released on Wednesday placed football behind cricket in terms of preference.
