Bức tượng khổng lồ mô phỏng Messi tại Ấn Độ

Lionel Messi flew to India for the three-day “GOAT India Tour 2025,” highlighted by the unveiling of a giant statue standing over 21 meters tall in Kolkata. The massive statue, depicting Messi holding the World Cup trophy, was erected in the Lake Town area in northern Kolkata, near the Kolkata Time Zone Tower — a structure built at one-third the scale of London’s Big Ben.

The statue is about 13 times taller than Messi’s actual height, made of iron, and took 40 days to complete. According to sculptor Monti Paul, installing the statue was a major challenge. “We had to use cranes and special vehicles to transport it through narrow roads. The face alone took 15 days to finish,” Monti Paul said.

Messi gây bức xúc với fan

However, Messi’s appearance has sparked chaos in India. According to ANI news agency, the Argentine superstar’s brief appearance at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata caused frustration among many die-hard fans. The 2022 World Cup champion merely walked around the pitch, waved to supporters, and left the venue just about 20 minutes after arriving.

A video shared by ANI showed several fans throwing seats onto the pitch, along with water bottles and other objects. “We bought tickets for 12,000 rupees (around USD 132.51), but we didn’t even get to see his face,” an angry fan at the stadium said.