Indian fans erect 21 m Lionel Messi statue in Calcutta before three-day tour

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·12 December 2025

Indian fans erect 21 m Lionel Messi statue in Calcutta before three-day tour

Indian fans in Calcutta have erected a 21 m statue of Lionel Messi ahead of his visit to India, which begins on Saturday.

The iron work shows him lifting the World Cup trophy and towers above the city’s traffic in a place not famed for football. According to AFP, sculptor Monti Paul, who led the project, said it is the largest piece he has made and called it a source of pride.

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Messi will not attend the statue’s inauguration in person for security reasons.

Despite India sitting 142nd in the FIFA rankings, behind Latvia and Liberia, his popularity rivals that of the country’s cricket stars.

The tour will last three days, starting there before visits to Hyderabad, Bombay and the capital New Delhi. He is due to meet film icon Shah Rukh Khan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Source: L'Équipe