London: Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has been immortalised in a waxwork statue unveiled at Wembley stadium.
The Argentina international was outstanding in the 2011 Champions League final as the Spanish giants triumphed 3-1 over Manchester United, with the 25-year-old being the goalscoring star of the show.
The life-size figure of Messi took four months to craft and cost just under €190,000 to create.
The La Liga, Copa del Rey, Spanish Supercopa and Uefa Super Cup-winning forward will - should he fancy - be able to visit his commemorative statue at the Madame Tussauds museum in London from September 23.
The Champions League final will once again be played at Wembley this season due to it being the 150th anniversary of the Football Association.
Barcelona are the bookies’ favourites to win the trophy which currently resides at Chelsea, while Real Madrid, Manchester United and Manchester City are also among the clubs most-fancied to claim the title of European Champions in May.
Goal.com
First Published: Thursday, September 20, 2012, 00:07