ROSARIO, Argentina — A towering tribute to soccer icon Lionel Messi has gotten a fresh makeover in the city where he grew up.
The enormous mural, spanning 534 square meters — roughly 5,748 square feet — covers the side of a building in downtown Rosario, Argentina, Messi’s birthplace. Artists restored and officially unveiled the work just in time for Argentina’s World Cup quarterfinal matchup against Switzerland.
Project director Marlene Zuriaga noted that the restoration of the mural, which was first created in 2021, required 300 liters — about 79 gallons — of paint to complete.
The artwork carries the title “From another galaxy and from my city” and features several new additions, including three stars on the jersey badge worn by the giant painted version of Messi — one for each of Argentina’s three World Cup championship victories — along with the word “Gracias!” meaning “Thank you!” displayed at the top of the mural.
Messi, now 39 years old, became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history during this tournament. His roots in the sport trace back to Rosario, where he played for local club Newell’s Old Boys before rising to global stardom.
Artist Lisandro Urteaga reflected on the meaning behind the mural’s name, saying: “We called the mural ‘From another galaxy’ but in reality he’s a human like us, who had to deal with a lot of challenges from childhood, who was born among humble working people, who rose above it.”
