This archive report was first published on 2 July 2021.
On July 1, 2021, a massive mural of Lionel Messi was unveiled in Rosario, Argentina, the town where he was born 34 years ago.
The 14-meter-high, 8-meter-wide artwork adorns the side of a four-story apartment building in the La Bajada neighborhood, where Messi lived as a child, and faces the primary school he attended.
According to Marlen Zuriaga, one of the muralists, the artwork was created to express the admiration the people of Rosario have for Messi.
The mural depicts a bearded, shirtless Messi, with a pair of boots, laces tied together, hanging around his neck. One boot is black and the other gold, symbolizing the record six Golden Shoes Messi has won as top scorer in Europe.
Messi, widely considered the best soccer player of the modern era, has been the leading scorer in Spain's La Liga a record eight times and is currently leading his team, Argentina, at the Copa America in Brazil.
