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Argentina unveils world's tallest statue of Lionel Messi

The monument stands 26 meters tall and weighs 70 metric tons

BUENOS AIRES, June 21. /TASS/. Argentina has unveiled the world's tallest statue of eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and World Cup champion Lionel Messi, TyC Sports reported.

The monument stands 26 meters tall and weighs 70 metric tons. The project was designed by sculptor Aldo Beroisa.

Earlier this month, a 21-meter statue of the Argentine forward was dismantled in Kolkata, India, following complaints about the structure's instability in strong winds.

Messi, 38, has played for US club Inter Miami since 2023. In Europe, the Argentine represented France's Paris Saint-Germain and Spain's Barcelona, with whom he won the UEFA Champions League four times, as well as three UEFA Super Cups and three FIFA Club World Cups. The forward is a World Cup winner (2022), World Cup runner-up (2014), Olympic champion (2008) and two-time Copa America winner (2021, 2024).

TASS previously reported that Messi scored a hat trick in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria in the group stage of the World Cup. The Argentine now has 16 goals at World Cups, equaling Germany's Miroslav Klose, who had held sole possession of the record for most goals scored in World Cup history. The tournament is being held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

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