The inauguration of an imposing statue of Lionel Messi in the province of Neuquén ended up becoming a subject of mockery on social media. Instead of generating praise, the work sparked a strong controversy due to its appearance, which many users described as unfinished and with no resemblance to the captain of the Argentine National Team.
Standing 26 meters tall, the monument is one of the largest dedicated to the footballer and aims to immortalize one of the most remembered moments of his career: the celebration after winning the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The sculpture depicts Messi on his knees, with the trophy between his legs, one hand on his chest, and the other pointing to the sky.
The first images released after the inauguration triggered a flood of memes on social media. The most questionable aspect of the statue is that it appears unfinished, as, aside from the jersey of the Argentine National Team, the face and much of the body still lack paint details and final touches.
Some users questioned the proportions of the sculpture, while others compared the chosen pose to various situations suggesting that Messi was twerking, from behind it looks as if he were giving birth to the cup, and a series of other obscene comments.
The project was carried out by self-taught artist Aldo Beroisa, who worked for a year alongside a group of neighbors and collaborators from Cutral Co. The Neuquén town is known as the "Provincial Capital of Monuments," a characteristic that made the impact of the work even more visible.
