[Planet Football] Top 7 Worst Football Statues of All Time

Top 7 Worst Football Statues of All Time: Messi, Ronaldo, Michael Jackson... Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are just two of the iconic footballers who have been immortalized by some of the worst statues we have ever seen. The rush to commemorate the game's greatest stars and club legends has resulted in a host of truly dreadful sculptures. We have ranked the 7 worst statues in football history, and each one gets worse as you scroll down. Maybe you should wash your eyes out before looking at this list...

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7. Lionel Messi (Kolkata) This Messi statue, recently unveiled in India, isn't the worst likeness on this list. In fact, if you squint, it kind of looks like Cristiano Ronaldo. But the 21-meter height is another dimension entirely. It's true that Indians love football more than expected, but while the national team is a total mess, resources are being poured into this hideous structure.

6. Alan Shearer (Newcastle) The only image that comes to mind when you think of Shearer the footballer is his signature, understated goal celebration. So why the sculptors decided to give Shearer's right arm such a bizarre, flamboyant flourish is anyone’s guess. Especially considering he scored 260 Premier League goals worth referencing.

5. Mohamed Salah (Sharm El Sheikh) Congrats to Jimmy Cranky, who spent eight and a half years at Liverpool, lifting every major trophy and becoming one of the greatest players in club history. Or maybe they just hired Arne Slot to make this Salah statue back in 2018 when he was out of a job, right when this monstrosity was unveiled.

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4. Michael Essien (Kumasi) Sadly, the rumor that this Essien statue was made based on a printed screenshot from ‘Sensible Soccer’ remains unconfirmed.

3. Ted Bates (Southampton) Bates was involved with Southampton as a player, manager, director, and chairman, earning him the nickname “Mr. Southampton.” It was extremely unlucky, yet extremely hilarious, that his statue, erected in 2007, bore a resemblance to Milan Mandaric, the former chairman of hated rivals Portsmouth. A replacement statue was quickly commissioned and unveiled a year later.

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2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Madeira Airport) Ronaldo might have lost the GOAT debate to Lionel Messi, but he undoubtedly holds the crown for having the most notorious statue in football history. The bust of Ronaldo’s face was unveiled during the ceremony renaming the Madeira Airport in Portugal after the then-Real Madrid player. Social media immediately blew up. Comparisons to Niall Quinn flooded in, forcing sculptor Emanuel Santos to defend his work. Santos stated: “It’s not as simple as that because it’s a matter of taste. The important thing is the impact this work generated.”

1. Michael Jackson (Fulham) Former Fulham Chairman Mohamed Al-Fayed commissioned the 2.2m Michael Jackson statue in 2011, and it stood outside Craven Cottage for two years until it was removed by current Fulham owner Shahid Khan. Al-Fayed and Jackson were close friends, and the statue was originally meant to stand outside Harrods, which Al-Fayed owned at the time, following the pop star’s death in 2009. But he sold the department store, resulting in Fulham becoming the bizarre owner of this plaster and resin statue. It’s so awful it almost feels like a masterpiece.

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이 에시엔 동상이 ‘센서블 사커’의 스크린샷을 인쇄한 이미지를 바탕으로 제작되었다는 소문은 안타깝게도 확인되지 않았다.

3. 테드 베이츠 (사우스햄튼)

베이츠는 선수, 감독, 이사, 회장으로서 사우스햄튼에 속했고, 그로 인해 “미스터 사우샘프턴”이라는 별명을 얻었다. 그런데 2007년에 세워진 그의 동상이, 증오받는 라이벌 포츠머스의 前 회장 밀란 만다리치와 닮았다는 점은 극히 불운하면서도 극히 웃긴 일이었다. 대체 동상은 서둘러 제작되어 1년 뒤 공개되었다.

2. 크리스티아누 호날두 (마데이라 공항)

호날두는 리오넬 메시에게 GOAT 논쟁에서 패했을지 모르지만, 축구 역사상 가장 악명 높은 동상을 가진 선수라는 점에서는 단연 독보적이다. 호날두의 얼굴 흉상은 포르투갈의 마데이라 섬 공항을 당시 레알 마드리드 선수의 이름으로 개명하는 기념식에서 공개되었다. 그리고 곧바로 소셜미디어는 폭발했다. 나이얼 퀸과 닮았다는 비교가 쏟아졌고, 조각가 에마누엘 산투스는 자신의 작품을 변호해야 했다. 산투스는 이렇게 말했다: “이것은 취향의 문제이기 때문에 그렇게 단순하지 않다. 중요한 것은 이 작품이 만들어낸 파급력이다.”

1. 마이클 잭슨 (풀럼)

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前 풀럼 회장 모하메드 알 파예드는 2011년 2.2m 마이클 잭슨의 동상을 의뢰했고, 이 동상은 2년 동안 크레이븐 코티지 밖에 서 있다가 現 풀럼 구단주 샤히드 칸에 의해 철거되었다. 알 파예드와 잭슨은 절친한 사이였으며, 이 동상은 2009년 팝스타가 사망한 이후 당시 알 파예드가 소유하고 있던 해러즈 백화점 앞에 세워질 예정이었다. 하지만 그는 그 백화점을 매각했고, 그 결과 풀럼이 석고와 레진으로 된 이 동상의 기묘한 소유주가 되었습니다. 너무 형편없어서 오히려 명작처럼 느껴질 정도다.