Lionel Messi virtually unveils his 70-foot statue in Kolkata as part of GOAT India tour

Lionel Messi has officially kick-started his GOAT India tour as he landed in Kolkata in the wee hours of Saturday (Dec 13). Messi, considered one of the best football players of all time, will be on a four-city tour of the nation where he will participate in charity events and matches. However, Messi received a special 70-foot statue that was the highlight reel of his Kolkata tour. The statue was unveiled at the Sree Bhumi Sporting Club in Lake Town in Kolkata.

Messi to unveil his 70-foot statue

The Sree Bhumi Sporting Club completed the installation of a towering 70-foot iron statue in admiration of the Argentine football legend at Lake Town in South Dum Dum, Kolkata. The statue portrays Messi holding the FIFA World Cup trophy, symbolising his historic World Cup triumph and has drawn significant attention from football fans across the city and beyond. The statue will be virtually unveiled by Messi himself, adding to the excitement surrounding his visit on Saturday.

Speaking to ANI, Sree Bhumi Sporting Club President Sujit Bose said that Messi and his team had given their consent for the statue and expressed their happiness after seeing it. He added that the club has been in constant touch with Messi's management and that further interaction with the footballer is expected.

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"We have talked to his manager, and today we will talk to Messi... He gave his consent for the statue and they are also happy...," told ANI.

The West Bengal minister had earlier stated that the massive structure was completed in a record time of just 40 days.

"This is a very big statue, 70 feet in height. There is no other statue of Messi this big in the world. Messi is coming to Kolkata, and there are a lot of fans of Messi," he had told ANI.

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Messi’s schedule in Kolkata

• 9:30 am to 10:30 am: Meet-and-greet programme
• 10:30 am to 11:15 am: Virtual inauguration of Messi’s statue
• 11:15 am to 11:25 am: Arrival at Yuva Bharati
• 11:30 am: Shah Rukh Khan arrives at Yuva Bharati
• 12:00 pm: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Sourav Ganguly arrive at the stadium
• 12:00 pm to 12:30 pm: Friendly match, felicitation and interaction
• 2:00 pm: Departure for Hyderabad