Lionel Messi has been honored with a towering 85 foot statue in Cutral Co, a remote town in Argentina’s Patagonia region.
The 26 meter monument is made from about 70 tons of steel and iron.
The statue was unveiled on June 16, 2026, during Argentina’s opening match at the 2026 World Cup. Messi turned 39 on June 24.
The sculpture captures one of the most emotional moments of Messi’s career.
It shows him kneeling after Argentina won the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, with the trophy between his legs and one arm raised.
The statue also shows Messi holding Argentina’s jersey and pointing to the sky, a gesture he has often used to honor his late grandmother.
The monument was created by local sculptor Aldo Beroisa, who spent 18 months working on the tribute.
Beroisa told AP that Messi is Argentina’s natural ambassador. He said the project mattered to him both as an artist and as an Argentine.
Local authorities and the sculptor said it is the largest monument ever dedicated to Argentina’s captain.
Cutral Co is better known as an oil producing town than a tourist destination.
But the statue has drawn visitors who want to see the huge tribute to the player who led Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022.
The monument stands near Route 22, where passing drivers can see Messi rising above the Patagonian landscape.
The statue arrived during another historic moment in Messi’s career.
Messi scored twice in Argentina’s 2 to 0 win over Austria on June 22, bringing his career World Cup total to 18 goals.
That moved him past Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who had held the men’s World Cup scoring record with 16 goals.
The Patagonian statue is not the only tribute drawing attention.
In Berazategui, near Buenos Aires, more than 1,300 fans helped create a mural of Messi’s face. The mural includes names written by supporters who came from different towns.
Messi sent a video thanking the people behind the mural.
For many Argentines, the new statue is more than a sports tribute. It is a symbol of a player who has carried national hopes, delivered a World Cup, and continues to make history deep into his career.