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A 70-foot statue of Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi is set to be removed in India, barely half a year after its inauguration during his “GOAT” Tour.

The statue, depicting the 38-year-old Messi lifting the World Cup trophy, was unveiled in December last year in Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal. However, it quickly drew criticism for its limited resemblance to the player.

The golden-hued statue was reportedly observed swaying in the wind, leading local authorities to secure it with ropes around its shoulders to prevent any mishap.

Sharadwat Mukherjee, a legislator from the state, told the AFP news agency, “The statue of the Argentinian football legend in Kolkata was found unsafe by engineers of the West Bengal government.”

He added, “We have noticed that the statue is swaying in the wind.”

Following the incident, engineers from the Public Works Department inspected the structure on Monday after it had been reinforced, and concluded that it remained “unsafe.”

Authorities have not yet confirmed when the statue—located beside a busy road in the city centre—will be taken down.

“Its removal is proving to be more challenging than expected,” Mukherjee said. “We are planning to remove the statue at the earliest possible time.”

The statue had been commissioned by a local football club headed by Sujit Bose, who was later arrested on corruption charges. Bose had previously served as a lawmaker under the state’s former administration.

The statue was virtually inaugurated by Messi himself, who appeared on a large video screen pressing a remote-control button to unveil it.

It was created to commemorate Messi’s visit to Kolkata during his India tour with his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul.

That visit, however, turned chaotic when fans at the Salt Lake Stadium vandalised seats and threw them onto the pitch. Many spectators, who had paid upwards of £100 for tickets, complained that the 2022 World Cup champion’s appearance lasted only about 20 minutes.