Kolkata, Dec 12: The towering 70‑foot statue of Lionel Messi in Kolkata, set for a virtual inauguration by the football icon Saturday, has unexpectedly become the internet’s newest comedy arena.

What was meant to be a grand tribute has instead sparked a wave of memes, jokes, and bewildered reactions across social media platforms.

The moment the first images of the statue surfaced online, users began questioning its resemblance to the Argentine legend.

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One X user wrote, “This is a 70 ft Messi statue built in Kolkata. I don't know from which angle it looks like Messi,” capturing the general sentiment. Another user compared it to former Indian footballer Mehtab Hossain, adding a local twist to the humour.

The statue’s scale also became a talking point. “How can one of the shortest person has the tallest statue in the world?” another user joked, highlighting the irony.

“Finally there is some justification for the city being painted in the colours of the Argentine flag,” someone quipped referencing the blue‑and‑white colour scheme widely associated with Bengal’s public spaces since 2011.

The jokes kept coming. “When ordered Messi from Meesho,” one user wrote, while another commented, “The face has become a bit too messy.” A popular GIF resurfaced of Messi’s fiery 2022 World Cup exchange with Dutch forward Wout Weghorst, captioned as his imagined reaction to the statue.

Even Bollywood found its way into the humour. “I thought Hrithik Roshan won the World Cup for Brazil,” a Facebook user posted, poking fun at the statue’s facial features.

Despite the online frenzy, preparations for Messi’s virtual inauguration continue. As per Sujit Bose’s press release, the ceremony will take place at 10 am. Messi’s Kolkata tour begins with a VIP meet‑and‑greet from 9:30 to 10:30 am, followed by a grand event at Salt Lake Stadium from 11 am to 1 pm, where 85,000 fans are expected.

Shah Rukh Khan will join the celebrations at 11:30 am, adding a Bollywood‑meets‑football moment to the day. Messi will also meet Sourav Ganguly and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee before departing for Hyderabad by 2 pm.

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