Looks like Indians haven’t moved on from Pakistani cricket legend Shoaib Malik, as a statue meant to honor Lionel Messi in India has gone viral for resembling Malik more than Messi.
Social media users are insisting that the 70-foot iron sculpture, unveiled in Kolkata during Messi’s India GOAT Tour, looks far more like Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik than the Argentine superstar.
The statue shows a bearded figure holding the World Cup trophy, but critics say the resemblance to Messi is “tenuous at best.” Many joked that India may have accidentally commissioned a cricket hero instead of a football icon.
Some went so far as to suggest that Malik himself should swing by Kolkata for a photo op.
The statue controversy, however, was only part of the day’s drama. Messi’s much-hyped appearance at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, meant to be a celebration for football fans, descended into chaos almost immediately.
Thousands of spectators, many paying steep ticket prices, had gathered at the FIFA-approved venue to catch a glimpse of the Argentine icon.
Messi was on the pitch for barely 22 minutes. Barricades were breached almost as soon as he emerged from the players’ tunnel, and order quickly broke down.
Frustrated fans, unable to see the football star, began throwing bottles, damaging fibreglass seats, and forcing police to intervene. The visit ended abruptly as security concerns mounted, leaving fans angry and organizers scrambling.
What was meant to be a grand celebration of football’s greatest player has instead become a social media punchline.
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