Lionel Messi's 70 Foot Statue Removed In Kolkata Less Than A Year After Installation; Here's Why

A 70-foot statue of Lionel Messi beside VIP Road in Kolkata’s Lake Town has been dismantled after residents warned that it moved in strong winds on Monday. Local complaints triggered an inspection, which found structural risks. Officials decided to remove the figure to avoid accidents.

The statue, created over 27 days by supporters, showed Messi lifting the 2022 FIFA World Cup trophy. It was installed in December last year before Messi’s “GOAT Tour” to India. Authorities are considering fresh locations where the structure could be safely reassembled.

Messi GOAT Tour India spark safety concerns

Residents reported the swaying structure to the Public Works Department. Engineers then checked the installation and confirmed instability in windy conditions. The statue had stood along a busy stretch of VIP Road, increasing worries about possible harm to commuters and pedestrians.

West Bengal MLA Sharadwat Mukherjee said, "The statue of the Argentine football legend was found to be unsafe." Mukherjee also stated, "We have noticed that the statue is swaying in the wind." After this assessment, officials agreed the monument could not remain at the present spot.

VIDEO | A 70-foot-tall statue of Argentine football star Lionel Messi, which had become structurally unstable following recent storms, was removed from Lake Town here on Monday.

According to Public Works Department (PWD) officials, the statue was dismantled from its pedestal and… pic.twitter.com/KCmnxVmsGA

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 1, 2026

Messi travelled to India last year with Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul. The tour included visits to West Bengal, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi. The Lake Town installation formed part of wider fan tributes that marked the group’s arrival and public appearances.

Organiser Satadru Dutta, who led Messi’s GOAT Tour to India, lodged a police complaint last week against former West Bengal Sports Minister Arup Biswas. Dutta alleged misconduct, citing misuse of tickets for Messi’s Kolkata programme and pressure regarding issuing access cards for the event.

Messi’s Kolkata appearance at Salt Lake Stadium had already drawn criticism over crowd control. Fans holding expensive tickets reportedly hurled bottles and tried to break gates when Messi left early. Many spectators said they never saw Messi and blamed poor arrangements and VIP and political access.