Large Lionel Messi sculpture in India slated for demolition due to security worries

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Commuters walk past a statue of Argentine football player Lionel Messi that has been tied with rope for stability from rain and thunderstorms, prior to its re-installation in a safer place, in Kolkata on May 27, 2026. Messi inaugurated the statue virtually during his visit to the city in December 2025. (Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP)

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A giant statue of football superstar Lionel Messi erected in India to mark his visit last year is “swaying in the wind” and will be removed, a lawmaker told AFP on Wednesday.

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Workers have scrambled up the 21-metre (70-foot) golden-coloured statue in the eastern city of Kolkata in West Bengal, throwing ropes around its shoulders to secure it.

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The sculpture showing the 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami star raising the World Cup trophy was unveiled during Messi’s so-called GOAT Tour of India in December.

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But West Bengal state legislator Sharadwat Mukherjee said it was no longer safe.

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“The statue of the Argentine football legend in the city of Kolkata was found unsafe by engineers of the West Bengal government,” he said.

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“We have noticed that the statue is swaying in the wind.”

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Workers on Wednesday used ropes to attempt to secure the statue, which looms over a busy road.

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Mukherjee said it was not clear when it would be brought down.

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“Removal has proved easier said than done,” he said. “We are planning to remove the statue at the earliest opportunity.”

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He did not say whether the statue would be re-erected at another site.

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Argentina is set to begin its World Cup campaign on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City.

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Messi has not formally confirmed his plans to play in the World Cup, but is widely expected to return for what would be a record-matching sixth appearance at the tournament.

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He remains the side’s talisman for the defence of the title they won in Qatar four years ago.

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India — a nation of 1.4 billion — is a cricket powerhouse, but struggles on the football pitch and is 142nd on the FIFA rankings.

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Football, however, is the country’s second favourite sport, according to research by data company Nielsen released on Wednesday.

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