Messi’s statue in Cutral Co was already trending. At 26 meters tall, with 70 tons of oil-industry steel and concrete, and the Qatar 2022 World Cup held high, the monument inaugurated on June 16, 2026 in Neuquén became one of the most talked-about topics in Argentina. The memes did not take long: they compared it to Christ the Redeemer and joked that Messi now beats the Leaning Tower of Pisa in height.
But no one had seen what the rear angle was hiding. This week, new images of the work taken from behind circulated, and the perspective from that point radically changes how the position of the Cup is read. The vision of Neuquén sculptor Aldo Beroisa was monumental and solemn; the internet’s view was… something else. In seconds, the photos went viral with a wave of comments mixing astonishment with laughter.
“The best trophy was always his 😏”, wrote one user. Others were less subtle in commenting that he had “something” gigantic 😂. For the residents of Cutral Co, the work remains a source of pride and a tourism driver for Patagonia. For the rest of the world, it is proof that Messi sparks international conversation no matter the angle from which he is seen.