Argentina and Inter Miami talisman Lionel Messi is heading to India for a three-day ‘GOAT Tour.’
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, joined by clubmates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, will unveil a statue of himself in Kolkata on Saturday.
It took a 45-person crew 27 days to assemble and is 70 feet tall.
The trip will begin in Kolkata. On Saturday, at 10:30 a.m. local time (05:00 GMT), followed by Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi.
The statue is just one of India’s tributes to the former Barcelona and Paris St. Germain forward.
Fans can visit the ‘Hola Messi’ fan zone, which has a life-size replica. Messi sat on a throne, a hall was decorated with some of his trophies, and a recreation of his Miami home, complete with mannequins of the player and his family, perched on a balcony.
“He (Lionel Messi) would be surprised to see the arrangements made for him,” Messi fan Shiladitya Banerjee said.
“He would be shocked to see how he is worshipped in Kolkata and across India. I am tearing up, but these are happy tears.”
Messi, who has scored 787 goals in 963 professional appearances, was honored with a bronze statue in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2016.
Barcelona President Joan Laporta has announced that they are “working on” a statue for the Nou Camp.
