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An 85-foot (approximately 26-meter) statue has been erected in honor of Lionel Messi, but it is drawing a wave of double-takes due to the giant World Cup trophy covering the footballer's groin in a rather specific fashion.

The new monument in Cutral Có—a remote town in Argentine Patagonia—was crafted by local artists using 70 tons of steel. It captures Messi in his signature goal celebration: one hand raised with a finger pointing toward the sky. However, it is the positioning of the World Cup trophy, which Argentina won in Qatar, that has left onlookers completely baffled.

Given the shape of the iconic trophy, its provocative placement between Messi's legs has triggered an endless stream of jokes on social media. Fortunately, the sculptor did remember to "dress" the football legend in shorts. "He is a natural ambassador for Argentina. For me, this was very important not only as an artist but as an Argentine," Aldo Beroisa, the 61-year-old local sculptor, told the Associated Press.

The monument stands as the tallest statue ever built to honor Messi. It surpasses a 70-foot (21-meter) sculpture erected in Kolkata, India, which had to be dismantled just last month due to safety concerns after the structure began dangerously swaying in the wind.

This is far from the first time Messi monuments have struggled to stand the test of time. A bronze figure unveiled in Buenos Aires in 2016 was severely vandalized a year later, leaving the statue completely missing its head, arms, and torso.

A History of Football's Biggest Statue Fails

Messi's latest sculpture joins a notorious lineup of football monuments that completely missed the mark:

• Cristiano Ronaldo (2017): The bust unveiled at the Madeira airport became an instant internet meme, ridiculed for its squashed features and a bizarrely strained expression that looked nothing like the Portuguese star.

• Mohamed Salah (2018): A sculpture of the Egyptian forward faced widespread mockery for its disproportionately tiny body and a massive head of hair that made Salah look more like American singer Art Garfunkel.

• Ted Bates (2007): A £102,000 statue honoring the Southampton legend was pulled down from St Mary's Stadium less than a week after installation following fan fury over its total lack of likeness and oddly proportioned limbs.

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