Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg
Audio By Carbonatix
Upon hearing that Argentinian soccer phenom Lionel Messi is going viral on social media during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, one could be forgiven for assuming it was due to a stellar performance, a spectacular goal, or another record broken. But in a twist of fate not even the most Nostradamian Kalshi bettors could have predicted, a massive 85-foot-tall Messi statue is going viral because (as some astute netizens have put it) it looks like he’s about to hop on a World Cup trophy-shaped dildo.
It’s not the first time an artist has made a viral blunder when trying to immortalize a sports figure — just ask Dwyane Wade or Cristiano Ronaldo. The Inter Miami star’s statue unveiling took place on his 39th birthday, Wednesday, in Cutral Có, a small Argentinian town in Patagonia, according to ESPN.
Sculptor Aldo Beroisa, 61, took 18 months to complete the project, which depicts Messi on his knees celebrating after the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in Qatar, following his team’s penalty shootout win over France. Beroisa may have gotten away with the design unscathed if Messi wasn’t seated behind the World Cup trophy, with its unfortunate phallic shape.
And while internet perversion is a powerful thing that can turn even the most innocent images into something dirty, the perverts may have a point this time.
One post about the unveiling garnered more than 3 million views on Friday, with X comedians ripping the design. “New angles of the giant Lionel Messi statue in Patagonia,” the post reads. In response, some even used AI to help those with less powerful imaginations. Other X users have been having a field day with the photos.
“This is what happens when a Ronaldo fan becomes an architect,” one commenter wrote, referencing the rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi that mostly exists between their fanbases.
“Man looks like he’s riding a dildo,” wrote another with a picture of Messi crying.
Some were impressed by the body Beroisa gave Messi, with one user writing, “The sculptor who made this Messi statue from behind definitely needs to be questioned by the authorities. They gave him too much ‘plot.'”
“People with dirty minds need to start approving statues before they are revealed,” wrote another.
