Argentina has unveiled what is believed to be the world’s largest statue of Lionel Messi in the city of Cutral Co in Neuquen Province, but the 26-metre, 70-tonne monument has attracted as much ridicule as reverence online, with social media users branding it the “Temu version” of the football icon.
The statue was inaugurated along National Highway 22 at kilometre 1332, designed by local artist Aldo Beroisa and depicting Messi in his Argentina national team jersey holding the World Cup trophy won in Qatar in 2022. Built on a steel frame and covered in concrete, it surpasses the previous record holder, a 21-metre structure in Kolkata, India, which was eventually dismantled after residents reported it swaying dangerously in the wind.
City officials at the inauguration emphasised that the monument serves as both a tribute to Messi and a symbol of national pride, with the event drawing large crowds waving Argentine flags and wearing national team jerseys. Local authorities also hope the structure will boost tourism in Neuquen Province, a city already known within the region as the “monument capital.”
The online reaction, however, was less reverential. Social media users were quick to mock the likeness, with many comparing it unfavourably to the kind of cheap imitation associated with the budget online retailer Temu. The statue joins a long and distinguished tradition of football monuments that have drawn laughter rather than admiration, most notably the notoriously unflattering bust of Cristiano Ronaldo unveiled at Madeira airport in Portugal in 2017.
The unveiling coincided with a remarkable moment in Messi’s career. The 38-year-old, playing at his sixth and almost certainly final World Cup, became the all-time leading scorer in tournament history during Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria on 22 June, taking his tally to 18 goals across five World Cups following a hat-trick against Algeria in the group opener.
Whether the statue captures his genius is debatable. That the genius himself continues to defy time is not.
