A giant statue of football star Lionel Messi erected in India to celebrate his visit last year is set to be taken down after officials raised safety concerns, according to a lawmaker who spoke to AFP on Wednesday.
The 21-metre (70-foot) golden sculpture, located in Kolkata, eastern India, was designed to honour the Argentina and Inter Miami forward during his “GOAT Tour of India” in December, showing him lifting the World Cup trophy.
However, workers have now been seen climbing the structure and using ropes to stabilise it as it reportedly leans over a busy road.
West Bengal state legislator Sharadwat Mukherjee said engineers had flagged safety issues with the installation.
“The statue of the Argentine football legend in the city of Kolkata was found unsafe by engineers of the West Bengal government,”
He added that structural movement had already been observed.
“We have noticed that the statue is swaying in the wind.”
Authorities say efforts to dismantle it are underway, although the process is proving complicated.
“Removal has proved easier said than done,” he said. “We are planning to remove the statue at the earliest opportunity.”
It remains unclear whether the sculpture will be relocated to another site after removal.
The development comes as Argentina prepares for its World Cup campaign starting June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City. Lionel Messi has not officially confirmed whether he will take part in the tournament, but he is widely expected to feature in what could be a record-equalling sixth appearance.
India, a country of over 1.4 billion people and a cricket-dominated sporting culture, is ranked 142nd in world football. Still, football remains its second most popular sport according to a Nielsen report released Wednesday.
