While he may not have won the FIFA World Cup 2026, he has won hearts enough to have statues of himself erected in towns and visited by tourists across the globe. Lionel Messi is a soccer legend who has been playing the ball for the past thirty years. From playing as a young boy in the streets of Argentina to representing the country at football’s biggest event, the FIFA World Cup, he has inspired millions of people to pursue the sport.On June 16, a statue of Messi, the largest to ever be dedicated to the Argentine captain was inaugurated in Cutral Co, a town in Patagonia. At 26 metres tall and made of 70 tons of steel and iron, the work depicts the captain kneeling with the trophy won in 2022 and already attracts admirers to the oil-producing city.
A work of art
Installed on the outskirts of Cutral Co, near Highway 22, the monument shows him kneeling with the trophy between his legs and one arm raised towards the sky while donning his own jersey. The work was built to withstand the strong winds of Patagonia and it took 18 months of work to assemble the structure. The project was led by 61-year-old sculptor Aldo Beroisa. He has previously produced giant dinosaurs and monuments dedicated to characters from Argentine independence, also installed in the town. “He is the natural ambassador of Argentina. For me, this was very important, not only as an artist but as an Argentine,” Beroisa told the Associated Press.
The 2022 World Cup
The chosen position for Messi’s statue was inspired by the 2022 World Cup final, held at Lusail Stadium, Qatar. On that day, Argentina defeated France 4-2 on penalties. It represents the moment when Messi fell to his knees on the field after Gonzalo Montiel converted the penalty that confirmed Argentina’s world title. The sculpture also shows the player holding the national team jersey with one hand and pointing his index finger to the sky. The gesture is repeated by Messi in his celebrations and represents a tribute to his deceased grandmother.The installation is said to have brought new movement to the city, with tourists arriving to see the projection in the town which did not have the same tourist attraction as other Patagonian locations known for lakes and mountains.
A tribute in Berazategui
More than 1,300 people participated in the project by writing their names on the painting.
Another tribute to Messi was produced in Berazategui, in the Buenos Aires region. A mural approximately six meters wide and 5.5 metres high features Messi’s smiling face surrounded by the names of his admirers. More than 1,300 people participated in the project by writing their names on the painting. Some travelled from different cities to leave their signature on the site.The mural was completed in 18 days by artist Leonel García, 32, in partnership with Federico Merodo, owner of the parking lot where the wall used as a canvas was built. “This is a mural that I did not make alone. Besides me painting it, it was made by more than 1,300 people,” declared García. The player himself sent a video message thanking the participants and the people who visited the work.For García, the tribute also represents the player’s ability to bring together Argentinians from different regions, social classes, and political positions around the same sports symbol.
