KOLKATA, June 1 -- A 45-foot statue of Argentine football icon Lionel Messi, installed at Lake Town near the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) airport, was dismantled by the state government on Monday over safety concerns.

The fibre-glass statue, which was virtually unveiled in December 2025 by Messi at the beginning of his India tour, was structurally unsafe, officials aware of the development said.

The entire structure, including the plinth, stood at 70 feet and depicted Messi holding the FIFA World Cup trophy.

The statue was installed by the Sree Bhumi Sporting Club. The club's president and former Trinamool Congress legislator Sujit Bose was recently arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with money l...