Lionel Messi Statue Faces Red Card; Kolkata Authorities Order Removal

Last Updated:June 03, 2026, 10:08 IST

A 70-foot statue of Lionel Messi in Kolkata has been dismantled after officials found it unsafe and swaying in the wind, months after its high-profile unveiling.

What was meant to be a towering tribute to Lionel Messi has instead ended with cranes, barricades and safety concerns.

A 70-foot statue of the Argentine football icon has been dismantled in Kolkata after authorities determined that the structure was unsafe and at risk of causing an accident.

The monument, unveiled in December during Messi’s much-publicised GOAT Tour of India, had become a local landmark before concerns emerged about its stability.

The fibreglass-and-iron structure was erected in just 27 days to commemorate Messi’s visit to the country alongside Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul. The tour included stops in West Bengal, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, generating massive excitement among football fans.

But the giant statue soon drew attention for the wrong reasons.

Following complaints from local residents, engineers from the Public Works Department (PWD) conducted an inspection in late May. Their findings raised alarm bells, with officials reportedly concluding that the statue’s structural integrity had been severely compromised.

“The statue of the Argentine football legend was found to be unsafe," West Bengal legislator Sharadwat Mukherjee said. “We have noticed that the statue is swaying in the wind."

The location of the monument complicated matters further. Situated close to a busy road and a subway, authorities feared that any structural failure could pose a serious risk to public safety.

In the days leading up to its removal, officials secured the statue with heavy-duty nylon ropes and erected barricades around the site to keep pedestrians and traffic at a safe distance. The structure was finally taken down this week and is now in the custody of the PWD.

No decision has yet been announced regarding where the statue will be reassembled, though authorities are reportedly exploring alternative locations.

The monument’s removal comes against the backdrop of wider controversy surrounding Messi’s visit to Kolkata. The event itself was marred by complaints of poor crowd management, with frustrated fans alleging they were unable to catch a glimpse of the football legend despite paying premium ticket prices. The situation escalated into scenes of disorder inside the stadium, with police eventually intervening to restore calm.

For now, Kolkata’s giant Messi tribute has been reduced to pieces awaiting a new home — a surprising twist for a monument built to celebrate one of football’s greatest icons.

About the Author

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His...Read More

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