Lionel Messi virtually unveils his 70-foot statue at Lake Town in Kolkata

KOLKATA: Star footballer Lionel Messi on Saturday virtually unveiled his 70-foot statue installed at the Sree Bhumi Sporting Club in Lake Town, Kolkata. The Argentine football legend is in the city as part of his GOAT Tour India 2025. The unveiling drew a huge crowd of fans who gathered in Lake Town to witness the moment.

The Sree Bhumi Sporting Club completed the 70-foot iron statue in admiration for Lionel Messi at Lake Town in South Dum Dum, Kolkata. The statue depicts Messi holding the FIFA World Cup trophy and was virtually unveiled by the legend himself on Saturday.

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Rodri de Paul at the virtual statue unveiling of Messi at Hyatt Regency in Kolkata!

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West Bengal Minister and Sree Bhumi Sporting Club president Sujit Bose said on Saturday that Lionel Messi and his team are happy with the statue installed in Lake Town. Sujit Bose said Messi and his team had given their consent to the statue and were happy with it.

“We have talked to his manager, and today we will talk to Messi… He gave his consent for the statue and they are also happy…”, Sujit Bose said.

#WATCH | West Bengal: Star footballer Lionel Messi greets his fans at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata

A friendly match and a felicitation ceremony will be organised here. #Messi𓃵 #MessiInIndia

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The construction of the statue was completed in just 40 days. Bose earlier said, “We built this statue in 40 days. This is a very big statue, 70 feet in height. There is no other statue of Messi this big in the world. Messi is coming to Kolkata, and there are a lot of fans of Messi”.

The Argentine football legend arrived in the City of Joy early on Saturday morning to an overwhelming reception from fans. Enthusiastic supporters gathered in large numbers across key locations in Kolkata, eager to catch a glimpse of the global football icon, reflecting the immense popularity Messi enjoys in the country, particularly in West Bengal.

Notably, this marks Lionel Messi’s first visit to India since 2011. During his previous visit, the legendary footballer played a friendly match at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, where Argentina defeated Venezuela 1-0. His return after 14 years has generated immense excitement among football fans, who have been preparing for a grand celebration to welcome the global icon. (ANI)