A 21-metre golden statue of 
Lionel Messi erected in Kolkata, India, will be removed after state engineers found it unsafe, a West Bengal lawmaker said Wednesday. Workers climbed the sculpture and tied ropes around its shoulders to brace it against rain and thunderstorms while a longer-term solution is found, CNA reported.
Why is it being taken down? "The statue of the Argentine football legend in the city of Kolkata was found unsafe by engineers of the West Bengal Government," state legislator Sharadwat Mukherjee told AFP, and "we have noticed that the statue is swaying in the wind," CNA reported. The Taipei Times reported the sculpture depicts the 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami star raising the FIFA World Cup trophy and was unveiled during the player's so-called "GOAT Tour of India" in December 2025.
What happens next? Mukherjee said removal had "proved easier said than done" and that the timing was not yet set, CNA reported. He did not say whether the structure would be re-erected at another location, the Taipei Times reported. The statue looms over a busy Kolkata road, which compounds the safety risk during the monsoon season.
Where does this leave Messi's India footprint? Messi drew large crowds across Kolkata, Mumbai and Hyderabad on the December tour, his first extended visit to India. He has not publicly commented on the statue's removal. Argentina opens its World Cup campaign on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City, the Taipei Times reported, and Messi — who has not formally announced his roster spot — is widely expected to play in what would be a record-matching sixth appearance.
Figures referenced: Lionel Messi. — JudgeMarket.
