- The bust of Cristiano Ronaldo at a Madeira airport was truly shocking
- Lionel Messi was given a statue in India that looks nothing like him
- Brazil in blue – you want to think of yellow and Pele and not think about Everton – Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Another statue to honour a footballer has been made, and, like many before, it has been slammed by fans.
Waltham Forest Council agreed plans to erect a statue of Walthamstow-born England captain Harry Kane back in 2019, but five years later they may wish they hadn’t bothered.
Pictures obtained by The Big Issue allowed supporters to get a first look at the £7,200 tribute, but one described it as ‘so bad’, while another labelled it ‘the stuff of nightmares’ after the striker appeared to be depicted with a goatee beard.
It is not the reaction the creators would have hoped for, but is Kane’s statue the worst one we’ve ever seen?
Well, there’s plenty of competition out there, and Mail Sport has taken a look at some truly dreadful ones from over the years.
Mohamed Salah
Mo Salah is one of the Liverpool’s greatest players and has scored 54 goals for Egypt, and this is how he gets repaid?
The statue went on display in the World Youth Forum in Sharm El Sheikh, in Salah’s home country of Egypt, and it is hard to say what’s good about it.
It took Mai Abdel Allah an entire month to create, but it’s a mystery as to how he spent his time.
Salah has been given ridiculously skinny legs, and then a giant head, with the face looking more like musician Leo Sayers than Salah.
It’s probably best that Salah stays well away. He deserves better.
Cristiano Ronaldo
This one is truly a shocker.
Cristiano Ronaldo received this bust, placed outside the airport named after him in Madeira, Portugal, where he was born.
But the face is so clearly lop-sided and asymmetrical, and for some reason he has been given a demented smile and haunting eyes.
Let’s not even speak about the teeth.
Rather than resembling Ronaldo, it drew comparisons to former Sunderland striker Niall Quinn and ex-Charlton defender Paul Konchesky. Hopefully they are not too offended by that.
If fans want a glimpse of Ronaldo and can’t meet the real person, don’t bother going to Madeira Airport. His statue really is diabolical.
Diego Maradona
The one probably isn’t the worst, but it deserves to be thrown into the mix.
The proportions just don’t quite seem right, with Argentine icon Diego Maradona being given giant hands and an off-centre facial expression.
And then you have the shaggy mane of hair that doesn’t do justice to the style Maradona had at his peak when he was the best player on the planet in the mid 1980s.
This was unveiled at the Sribhumi Sporting Club in Kolkata, India, in 2017, three years before the World Cup winner sadly passed away at the age of 60.
Michael Essien
This robotic-looking effort, meant to represent former Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien, would look more at home on the set of Terminator 3 than in Essien’s home country of Ghana.
The sharp, angular, humanoid features look mechanical and lifeless rather than warm or genuine.
The proportions also look somewhat off, like many on this list.
Essien was an outstanding player, who also starred for Real Madrid, but this is far from an outstanding statue.
Lionel Messi
There are numerous Lionel Messi statues dotted around the globe. This has to be the worst of the bunch.
Located in Kolkata, India, it was installed just weeks before Messi led Argentina to glory in the 2022 World Cup.
Therefore, it could be argued that it proved a good omen, but it was probably more to do with Messi being really good at football.
The statue also looks nothing like him as there is a blank facial expression and then an overly-exaggerated quiff.
At least he has actually done that celebration before, but that’s about the only accurate element of this poor effort.
Sergio Aguero
Sergio Aguero scored arguably the most iconic goal in Premier League history on the final day of the 2011-12 season to hand Manchester City the title, and the celebration wasn’t bad either.
The club decided to recreate the image of Aguero whirling his shirt above his head in the form of a statue, but it ended up looking more like Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos.
The German international even poked fun at City’s attempt, which they proudly displayed right outside the Etihad Stadium.
Aguero was convinced to go along and unveil it and even mustered a smile as he posed for a photo with the statue, but he surely can’t have actually been happy with the final product.
(Brazilian) Ronaldo
This statue of Ronaldo Nazario, also known as Brazilian Ronaldo or R9… it’s not great.
It captures some of the man’s physical strength and stature as a player, but his stomach looks swollen.
Though the pose is pretty accurate, the face is genuinely baffling.
You’ve also got to wonder where the iconic tuft of hair is that he had during the final stages of the 2002 World Cup when he fired Brazil to glory.
At least the man himself (below, right) seems happy enough with it.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
