Messi’s GOAT statue in India to be removed over safety concerns

Statue to honour World Cup winner Lionel Messi, unveiled during his GOAT tour of India, unstable on busy Kolkata road.A giant statue of football superstar Lionel Messi erected in India to mark his visit last year is “swaying in the wind” and will be removed, a lawmaker has said.Workers have scrambled up the 21-metre (70ft) golden-coloured statue in the eastern city of Kolkata in West Bengal, throwing ropes around its shoulders to secure it.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4France’s Kouame becomes youngest male Grand Slam match-winner in 17 yearslist 2 of 4NFL: Packers’ Josh Jacobs arrested on domestic abuse chargeslist 3 of 4Minorities at World Cup fear ICE threat and how US immigration is enforcedlist 4 of 4US Supreme court rejects NFL attempt to move racism case to arbitrationend of listThe sculpture showing the 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami player raising the World Cup trophy was unveiled during Messi’s GOAT Tour (Greatest of all Time Tour) of India in December.But West Bengal state legislator Sharadwat Mukherjee said it was no longer safe.“The statue of the Argentine football legend in the city of Kolkata was found unsafe by engineers of the West Bengal government,” he told the AFP news agency.“We have noticed that the statue is swaying in the wind.”Workers on Wednesday used ropes to attempt to secure the statue, which looms over a busy road.Mukherjee said it was not clear when it would be brought down.“Removal has proved easier said than done,” he said. “We are planning to remove the statue at the earliest opportunity.”He did not say whether the statue would be re-erected at another site.Argentina is set to begin its World Cup campaign on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City.Messi has not formally confirmed his plans to play in the World Cup, but is widely expected to return for what would be a record-matching sixth appearance at the tournament.He remains the side’s talisman for the defence of the title they won in Qatar four years ago.