Kolkata: Lionel Messi’s swaying statue to be removed

Lionel Messi; (right) Lionel Messi’s statue held by ropes in Kolkata on Wednesday. Pic/AFP

Lionel Messi's swaying movements in the wind with a ball at his feet have ensured that Argentine football is in safe hands and thriving over the years.

However, a giant statue of the football hero erected in Kolkata to mark his visit last year is "swaying in the wind" and will be removed, a lawmaker told AFP. Workers have scrambled up the 21-metre statue at a busy road, and thrown ropes over its shoulders to secure it.