Kolkata, India, June 1, 2026 (AFP) - India takes down giant Messi statue over safety concerns

NAMPA / AFP

2026-06-01

A giant statue of football superstar Lionel Messi was taken down in India on Monday after it was spotted swaying dangerously in the wind, authorities said. Hydraulic cranes and ropes were used to dismantle the 21-metre (70-foot) sculpture in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state, before it was taken away on an open-top flatbed truck, AFP journalists saw. "The statue was removed on Monday afternoon after locals complained it was swaying in the......

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