Messi’s 70-ton monument brings fans to tiny Patagonian village
A massive 26-meter-tall statue of Lionel Messi has been inaugurated in Cutral Co, Argentina, to commemorate the 2022 World Cup victory. The monument, created by sculptor Aldo Beroisa, depicts the soccer star kneeling with the trophy.
Why it matters
The statue highlights the immense cultural impact of sports icons on local tourism and national identity in Argentina.
While he may not have won the FIFA World Cup 2026, he has won hearts enough to have statues of himself erected in towns and visited by tourists across the globe. Lionel Messi is a soccer legend who has been playing the ball for the past thirty years. From playing as a young boy in the streets of Argentina to representing the country at football's biggest event, the FIFA World Cup, he has inspired millions of people to pursue the sport.On June 16, a statue of Messi, the largest to ever be dedicated to the Argentine captain was inaugurated in Cutral Co, a town in Patagonia.
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