A statue of Lionel Messi, that was erected after the Copa América Centenario, has been cut in half by vandals according to the Buenos Aires city goverment.

Following Messi’s retirement last June, city mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta unveiled the sculpture along the ‘Paseo de la Gloria’ along with statues of tennis player Gabriela Sabatini and basketball star Manu Ginóbili among others.

However, on the same day that Messi was runner-up to Cristiano Ronaldo in FIFA’s player of the year award, it has been reported that vandals have destroyed his statue.

The statue of Lionel Messi in Buenos Aires has somehow been cut in half by vandals pic.twitter.com/JFVIWhEeYO

— Peter Coates (@golazoargentino) January 9, 2017

“The statue of Lionel Messi fell victim to an act of vandalism that left the footballer’s sculpture without its top half,” the Buenos Aires city government cofirmed in a statement.

“The City Government is now working on its repair.”