In December 2025, Kolkata will do something no other city in the world has done: raise Lionel Messi, quite literally, above its skyline.

On December 13, a towering 70-foot statue of Messi, World Cup trophy in hand, will be unveiled in Lake Town, South Dum Dum. It will not only be the biggest statue of the Argentine legend anywhere on the planet, but also a bold new symbol of how deeply football runs through the heart of this Indian city.

The twist? Messi will open his own statue from thousands of kilometres away. The inauguration will be done virtually, as part of his three-day “GOAT India Tour 2025” that has already sent a wave of excitement through Indian football fans.

Why Kolkata Is Building a 70-Foot Lionel Messi

Kolkata is not a random choice. The city has a long, proud love story with football. Streets here stop for derbies, kids grow up arguing about Brazil vs Argentina, and murals of Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi share walls with Bollywood stars and political icons.

Now, the Lake Town area is adding a new chapter to that story with a Messi statue that reaches nearly 70 feet from the top to the base. The figure itself is around 50 feet, standing on a plinth that lifts it into the sky. The statue shows Messi frozen in the moment that defined his career and moved millions around the world: holding the FIFA World Cup trophy.

This is not just a tribute to a player. It is a statement from a football city that sees itself in the global game and wants to be seen in return.

West Bengal minister and Sree Bhumi Sporting Club president Sujit Bose, the key figure behind the project, put it simply:

“This is a very big statue, 70 foot in height. There is no other statue of Messi this big in the world…. Messi is coming to Kolkata, and there are a lot of fans of Messi.”

"Only in Kolkata do you build a 70-foot Messi and still say it’s not big enough for our love."

Inside the Race to Build the World’s Biggest Messi Statue

Behind the giant figure is a story of speed, pressure and teamwork. The statue was created by artist Monti Paul and a dedicated crew of about 45 people. Depending on the source, they finished it in just 27 to 40 days – a stunning pace for such a huge structure.

Made mainly of iron, with some reports also calling it an iron and fiberglass structure, the statue is designed to be strong enough to deal with local weather while still capturing the lightness and joy of Messi’s World Cup moment.

Paul described it as a “50-foot statue (70-foot including plinth)”, calling attention to the rapid build and the coordination needed to bring it to life in just about a month. This was not a slow, quiet art project. It was a high-speed mission with clear goals and intense attention from the public.

Bose underlined the effort:

“We built this statue in 40 days. Monti Paul made it ready. People were saying that we have a statue of Maradona, so why won’t there be one of Messi.”

That line matters. Kolkata already has a strong emotional bond with Diego Maradona, who visited the city and has a statue of his own. For many fans, Messi is the natural next chapter in that story: the heir to Maradona, the boy from Rosario who grew into Argentina’s modern-day football god.

The GOAT India Tour 2025: More Than Just a Statue

The statue is just one piece of a bigger picture. Messi’s visit to India, named the “GOAT India Tour 2025,” will run from December 13 to 15 and cover four major cities: Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.

This will be Messi’s second trip to India. His first came back in 2011, when he was still a rising superstar, not yet crowned as a World Cup-winning captain. A lot has changed since then – for him and for Indian football fans, who have only grown louder and more online in their support.

Across these three days, the tour is expected to include:

• Meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• Interactions with key state chief ministers
• A celebrity football match featuring well-known faces
• A charitable fashion show and memorabilia auction
• Musical performances and entertainment events

It is part football, part culture, part diplomacy and part business. Messi is not just a player now; he is a global brand, and India is one of the biggest, youngest fan markets in the world.

"If Messi plays even one friendly here, that day becomes our World Cup final."

Why the Unveiling Will Be Virtual

Many fans would have loved to see Messi stand under his own statue in Lake Town and pull away the curtain himself. But the organisers, along with local authorities, have chosen a virtual inauguration instead.

The reason is simple and blunt: security and law-and-order concerns.

Kolkata does not do small crowds when it comes to football icons. The excitement around the statue has already turned the site into a local attraction even before the official unveiling. People stop, stare, take pictures and share them all over social media. Now imagine what would happen if Messi himself stood there in person.

To avoid chaos and keep things safe, the plan is for Messi to join the unveiling digitally, likely from another stop on his India tour. Bose made it clear:

“Messi will like this statue. Inauguration will be on the 13th virtually from Kolkata.”

The decision may disappoint some, but it also underlines just how huge Messi’s pull is in India. When a player is so loved that authorities worry about handling the crowds, that is a sign of rare global reach.

The View from the Streets: What Local Fans Are Saying

On the ground in Kolkata, the feeling is simple and pure: joy that Messi is coming and pride that the city will host the biggest statue of him in the world.

One local football fan summed it up with emotion:

“Messi is coming here, and we will be able to see him. This is great for us. We are delighted about the statue that has been made here. I have no words to express about him (Lionel Messi).”

For many in the city, Messi’s visit and the statue are not just about a celebrity drop-in. They are about being seen and respected as part of football’s global family. Kolkata has already welcomed stars like Maradona, Emiliano Martinez and Ronaldinho in recent years. Messi’s arrival feels like the next big step.

Another fan explained the feeling of waiting to see Messi play, even in a friendly setting:

“It feels so great to see Messi play… We are awaiting his arrival. We are very excited.”

"Statues fade, but for our kids this will be proof: yes, Messi really came here."

Tickets, Access and the Price of Seeing a Legend

Messi may be everywhere on TV and online, but seeing him in person still carries a price. For the GOAT India Tour 2025, tickets for public appearances are set around 4,500 Indian Rupees (about 42 Euros), with higher prices in Mumbai.

These tickets open doors to events like the celebrity match, fashion show and musical evenings tied to the tour. For many families, it will be a big decision – but for die-hard fans, the chance to see Messi live, even for a short time, could be worth every rupee.

The tour also aims to do more than just sell tickets. With a charity fashion show and memorabilia auction on the schedule, there is a clear effort to turn Messi’s star power into funds for good causes, even as it deepens his brand and presence in India.

Timing, Legacy and the Road to World Cup 2026

The timing of this statue and tour is not random. With the FIFA World Cup 2026 approaching, global attention on top players and football markets is already growing. Messi may be in the later years of his playing career, but his influence off the pitch is only getting stronger.

For India, which dreams of a bigger role in world football, a high-profile visit like this sends a message: big names see value here, not only in commercial terms, but also in culture and support.

For Kolkata, the statue will stand long after Messi has flown out. It will be a new meeting point, a selfie hotspot, a landmark kids use as a direction marker when they tell friends where to meet. It joins a chain of tributes that link Maradona to Messi, Argentina to India, and one football-mad city to the rest of the world.

What This 70-Foot Messi Really Means

When Sujit Bose says, “People were saying that we have a statue of Maradona, so why won’t there be one of Messi,” he is doing more than answering a question. He is explaining Kolkata’s football soul.

This is a city that has always picked its heroes from far away and made them feel like family. A 70-foot statue of Lionel Messi lifting the World Cup is not about worshipping a distant star. It is about telling every young player on every park ground that the game they love connects them to the biggest stages in the world.

In the end, when Messi appears on screen on December 13 to virtually unveil his iron-and-fiberglass double in Lake Town, Kolkata will not be watching alone. Fans from across India – and likely far beyond – will be paying attention.

They will see more than a giant statue. They will see proof that football, and one small man from Rosario, can still tower over cities, countries and borders – and bring them all together under one shared sky.