Football: Lionel Messi statue in Buenos Aires vandalised again

A statue of Barcelona and Argentine star Lionel Messi has been reportedly vandalised in the capital, Buenos Aires yet again

BBC reports that the bronze statue was chopped off just above the ankles, with the main body left lying on the pavement.

This visibly will be the second time the statue unveiled in June 2016, has been targeted by vandals and Police has said the motive was unclear as to why the act was carried out.

Messi recently was the hero in the last game of the qualifying series after he saved Argentina’s 2018 World Cup place by scoring a hat-trick against Ecuador in October.

The space was created in preparation for the Olympic Youth Games which will be held in Buenos Aires in 2018.

It wasn’t the first time such would be happening as the statue has attracted vandals and thieves before, such as in January of this year, when the Messi statue was cut into two at the waist.

Messi, who left Argentina in 2000 to play for Barcelona, has in the past come under criticism for his performance in the national team.

While he has won four European Cups, eight league titles, five Ballons d’Or and three Club World Cups, Messi is yet to win the World Cup or any other major title for his country, his only international honour was the Olympic gold medal he won at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

Argentine football fans were ruthless in their criticism when he missed in a penalty shootout against Chile in the Copa America final in June 2016.

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