Bibhash Lodh, BS News Agency: A giant sculpture has been unveiled in the Argentine city of Cutral Co, Patagonia, to honor football wizard Lionel Messi on his 39th birthday. At 85 feet tall, the towering sculpture is currently recognized as the largest sculpture of Messi, larger than the one previously installed in Kolkata, India. It took sculptor Beroisa about 18 months to build this work of art, made of about 70 tons of steel. The sculpture depicts Messi's iconic moment in the final match of the Qatar World Cup, when he broke down in tears after becoming the world champion for the first time. In addition, the gesture of gazing at the sky in a heavenly manner with his palm is also perfectly depicted, which he originally dedicated to his late grandmother. The initiative was taken to immortalize the memory of the tense final match between Argentina and France. The oil-rich city of Cutral Co was not usually a center of attraction for tourists, but since the unveiling of this sculpture, the number of tourists in the city has increased manifold. Local artist Beroisa said in this context that as an Argentine citizen and artist, he is very proud to do such a work in honor of a world-famous personality like Messi. Not only in Cutral Co, the atmosphere of Messi's birthday has spread to various parts of the outskirts of Buenos Aires. There, a colorful mural measuring 20 feet wide and 18 feet high has been painted on the wall of a parking lot, in which the names of 1,300 of his devoted fans have found a place next to Messi. Seeing such extraordinary love for him, Messi expressed his deep gratitude to all the supporters and organizers through a video message. Meanwhile, defending champions Argentina have already qualified for the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup. Messi's next match in the tournament will be against Jordan on Sunday.