Giant Messi Statue Removed in Kolkata Over Safety Concerns

A towering statue of Argentine football star Lionel Messi in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata has been taken down after engineers determined it was unsafe, according to officials quoted by AFP. The 21-metre (70ft) golden-coloured sculpture, which showed Messi lifting the World Cup trophy, had been erected along a busy road in December during the player's 'GOAT Tour' of India.

West Bengal state legislator Sharadwat Mukherjee told AFP that the statue was 'swaying in the wind' and that the state government's engineers had deemed it unsafe. Workers initially attempted to secure the statue with ropes, but the decision was made to bring it down entirely. Mukherjee noted that removal was 'easier said than done' and said the statue would be dismantled at the earliest opportunity. He did not clarify whether a new location would be chosen for the monument.

The statue was billed by organisers as the world's tallest footballer statue, though this claim has not been independently verified. Its removal comes as Messi prepares for the upcoming World Cup, where Argentina will begin their title defence on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City.

Coverage Comparison

Both Al Jazeera articles confirm the core facts: the statue's height, its location in Kolkata, and its removal due to wind-related safety concerns. The articles also agree on the statue's origin — it was installed during Messi's December tour of India — and on the involvement of state legislators in the decision. The second article adds detail about the engineers' assessment and the lawmaker's comments, while the first mentions the ropes used to secure the statue.

There is no disagreement between the sources on the key events, but the reporting varies in attribution. The first article frames the removal as a response to 'concerns it was swaying in the wind' without directly naming the source of that concern, while the second explicitly attributes the statement to lawmaker Sharadwat Mukherjee and the state government's engineers.

Key Claims

  • Statue removal: According to AFP and reported by Al Jazeera, the 21-metre statue of Lionel Messi in Kolkata was removed after engineers found it unsafe, specifically because it was swaying in the wind.
  • World's tallest footballer statue: Organisers claimed the statue was the world's tallest footballer statue. This claim has not been independently verified.
  • December unveiling: The statue was unveiled during Messi's GOAT Tour of India in December, as per the same reports.
  • Engineers' assessment: Lawmaker Sharadwat Mukherjee told AFP that the statue was found unsafe by state government engineers, who noted the swaying.
  • India's FIFA ranking and football popularity: One report notes that India's FIFA ranking is 142nd and that football is the country's second most popular sport. These figures have not been independently confirmed.

Perspectives

The incident has drawn attention to the intersection of sports fandom and public safety in India. Officials emphasised the need to protect the public, while the statue's removal raised questions about the maintenance of large public installations. For Messi's fans in Kolkata, the statue was a symbol of their admiration for the player, though its instability has now become the focal point of news coverage. The story also highlights the broader interest in football in India, where the sport trails cricket in popularity but continues to grow.