The life-size statue of Messi was unveiled at the headquarters of the South American Football Confederation.
The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) unveiled a life-size statue of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi on Monday, which will be displayed alongside statues of late football greats Diego Armando Maradona and Pele at its museum.
The Argentine national team, including PSG forward Lionel Messi, was invited to a special event at the CONMEBOL headquarters in Paraguay called La Noche de las Estrellas (The Night of Stars).
Argentina’s players and head coach Lionel Scaloni were presented with miniature trophies from the 2022 World Cup and Copa America in 2021.
CONMEBOL confirmed in a statement that the statue depicting Messi in his Argentina jersey holding the World Cup trophy will be kept at the museum of South American football’s governing body, alongside Maradona and Pele.
Argentina won the 1986 FIFA World Cup thanks to Messi’s compatriot Maradona. At the age of 60, the former Barcelona and Napoli attacker died of heart failure in 2020.
Pele, a three-time World Cup winner from Brazil, died of colon cancer in 2022 at the age of 82.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi-led team defeated France 4-2 on penalties in Qatar 2022 to win the country’s third World Cup title.
Argentina won the world title in 1978 and 1986 before 2022.
