A towering 70-foot iron statue of football legend Lionel Messi has been completed in Kolkata by the Sree Bhumi Sporting Club. The statue depicts Messi holding the FIFA World Cup trophy and is claimed to be the largest Messi statue in the world. Monty Paul’s team is finalizing the surface work and preparing the surroundings. West Bengal Minister and club president Sujit Bose said the statue was built in just 40 days. "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," he told ANI. Bose mentioned previous football greats like Diego Maradona, Emiliano Martinez, and Ronaldinho who have visited Kolkata and praised the club saying, "Before him, there were (Diego) Maradona, (Emiliano) Martinez, Ronaldinho (Gaucho) of Brazil, they all have come here. In Sreebhumi, everybody came." He added, "People were saying that we have a statue of Maradona, so why won’t there be one of Messi." The timing also felt special with the 2026 World Cup approaching, and Bose said, "Messi will like this statue. Inauguration will be on the 13th virtually from Kolkata." The statue is expected to be fully completed within two days. Bose acknowledged government support, stating, "The Government has helped us a lot." Due to security and law-and-order concerns, Messi will inaugurate the statue virtually on December 13. Organisers hope the grand tribute will be loved by football fans throughout West Bengal.