‘Swaying in the wind’: Why India is removing 70-foot Messi statue in Kolkata

Structural flaws have forced the removal of a 70-foot-tall statue of Argentine great and 2022 World Cup winner Lionel Messi in the eastern city of Kolkata in West Bengal. Per the latest report, the workers have scrambled up the 21-metre golden-coloured Messi statue, unveiled during Messi’s GOAT Tour of India in December last year. West Bengal state legislator Sharadwat Mukherjee revealed the state government’s engineers found the statue, which ‘sways in the winds’, unsafe.

"The statue of the Argentine football legend in the city of Kolkata was found unsafe by engineers of the West Bengal government," he said, as quoted by AFP. "We have noticed that the statue is swaying in the wind."

The AFP report adds that the workers on Wednesday (May 27) used ropes to attempt to secure the statue, looming over a busy road. However, Mukherjee said it was not clear when it would be brought down.

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

Besides, Mukherjee also did not say whether the statue would be re-erected at another site.

Meanwhile, the defending world champions, Argentina, are set to begin their 2026 World Cup campaign on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City.

Although Messi has not formally confirmed his plans to play in the World Cup, he would likely feature in his record sixth World Cup alongside his longtime rival and fellow football great, Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal. The Portuguese star, however, has been picked in the official squad for the showpiece tournament.

Messi, however, sent a panic through the football world after he clutched the back of his left leg and requested a substitution in the 72nd minute during Inter Miami’s chaotic 6-4 win over the Philadelphia Union on May 24. As he walked straight down the tunnel, reports of his unavailability for the 48-team tournament began surfacing. He, luckily, is out of the danger zone and likely to be named in Argentina’s FIFA World Cup squad.

(With inputs from AFP)