Argentina admiration for the football icon Lionel Messi reached new heights after a massive 85-foot statue was unveiled in his honor after his last World Cup milestone.
The towering steel monument in the Patagonian town of Cutral Co coincides with Messi’s 39th birthday on Wednesday (today), celebrating both his role in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph and his continued brilliance at the 2026 tournament.
Constructed from 70 tons of steel, the 26-meter sculpture depicts Messi kneeling in celebration after Argentina’s victory in the 2022 World Cup final. Local artist Aldo Beroisa spent 18 months completing the project.
“He is a natural ambassador for Argentina,” Beroisa said. “It was very important for me, not only as an artist, but also as an Argentine.”
Breaking records in the World Cup encourages ‘Mesimania’
The revelation comes shortly after Messi became the World Cup’s all-time top scorer.
The Argentina captain scored twice in a 2-0 win over Austria, taking his tally to 18 World Cup goals and overtaking former Germany striker Miroslav Klose at the top of the competition’s goalscoring charts.
The achievement intensified celebrations across Argentina, where Messi remains a national hero after leading the country to its first world title in 36 years.
The largest statue of Messiah in the world
The Cutral Co monument is now believed to be the largest statue dedicated to Messi anywhere on the planet.
It surpasses the previous 20-meter tribute erected in Kolkata during the promotional tour in India. That statue was later ordered to be dismantled after local authorities expressed concern about its stability.
Argentina’s new structure shows Messi holding his national team shirt and pointing towards the sky, a gesture often associated with honoring his late grandmother.
More tributes are popping up across Argentina
The celebrations are not limited to Patagonia.
In a suburb of Buenos Aires, artist Leonel García recently completed a giant mural featuring Messi alongside the names of 1,300 fans.
Messi acknowledged the artwork in a video message, thanking fans for their support.
