Messi statue in Argentina destroyed, leg broken

For the second time in 2017, vandals in Buenos Aires have broken a bronze statue of the Argentina captain.

A statue of Lionel Messi on the banks of the La Plata River was found with both ankles broken and lying on the ground on Sunday, December 3. Police are searching for the culprit.

Messi statue destroyed for the second time. Photo: @MHChehade

The statue was unveiled to the public in June 2016 as a tribute to the five Ballon d'Or winners. The ceremony was presided over by the mayor of Buenos Aires - Horacio Rodriguez Larreta. This action was also to persuade Messi to abandon his intention to retire from the national team after the defeat by Chile in the final of Copa America 2016. Since returning to international competition, Messi has continuously shone to help Argentina win a ticket to the 2018 World Cup through a narrow gap.

The statue has undergone repairs before. In January 2017, vandals cut it in half at the waist, but Rodriguez later found a craftsman to reattach it.

The statue's location on a sidewalk famous for statues of Diego Maradona and former F1 champion Juan Manuel Fangio has even been stolen from a statue of 1990 US Open women's singles champion Gabriela Sabatini.

According to VNE