A statue of Barcelona maestro Lionel Messi has been discovered decapitated in his homeland of Argentina.
The 29-year-old was immortalised with a statue on the Glory Walkway in Buenos Aires last June, but pictures circulating on social media on Tuesday morning showed that the statue has been severed in half at the waist, with only his legs and a ball remaining erect.
A statement issued by the Buenos Aires government said: "The statue of Lionel Messi fell victim to an act of vandalism that left the footballer's sculpture without its top half.
"The City Government is now working on its repair."
The statue was erected as part of a successful campaign to get Messi to reconsider his retirement from the Argentina national side.
