Puri, July 18 -- Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has created an 8-foot-high sand sculpture of the FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy, featuring the national flags of Spain and Argentina along with the message, "FIFA World Cup 2026 - Good Luck For Final," at Puri beach in Odisha ahead of the Argentina vs Spain final on Monday (IST).

Sudarsan Pattnaik has also sculpted Lionel Messi, one of football's greatest icons, with the message "We Love MESSI." Nearly 7 tons of sand were used to create the sculpture, with students from his sand art institution joining hands to complete the sculpture.

Speaking to ANI, Pattnaik said the 8-foot-high sand sculpture of the FIFA World Cup trophy was created to wish Spain and Argentina good luck ahead of the...