Imagine a father’s promise etched onto a wall. This is the Mural Messi-Maradona. It stands as a vibrant testament to Argentina’s football passion.
This mural is found at the corner of Helguera and Curupaytí streets. It is in the Villa Pueyrredón neighborhood of Buenos Aires. The location is near the Miter train tracks and General Paz Avenue.
The “Messi and Maradona Corner” is a huge mural. Maximiliano Bagnasco and his team, Team Bagnasco, created it. It honors Diego Maradona with his 1986 World Cup win. It also celebrates Lionel Messi with the 2022 trophy.
Bagnasco said an acquaintance told him a story. A man passed the corner after a defeat. He promised his daughter a mural of Messi and Maradona if Argentina won the World Cup. After Argentina’s victory, the father contacted Bagnasco. Together, they made the dream a reality.
The mural transformed a simple gray wall. It became a true art exhibition in less than a week. Residents of Villa Pueyrredón are fascinated by the “Messi and Maradona Corner”. The street intersection has seen more activity than ever before.
Since the mural began, hundreds have visited. They contemplate the artwork and congratulate its author. The fanaticism of Argentines is on full display.
Artist Martin Ron also created a giant Messi mural. It’s located on Avenida Belgrano and Avenida 9 de Julio. This is in the same district as his Maradona mural. Ron created both murals to honor the two great footballers. They led Argentina to victory in the 1986 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.
The Messi mural occupies a wall 35 meters high by 20 meters wide. It took more than 200 liters of paint and about 50 brushes. The mural was conceptualized when the Maradona mural was inaugurated. That coincided with the commencement of the 2022 World Cup.
Ron commented that the Maradona mural was a success. Word spread worldwide. They decided to portray Messi the following year if Argentina won. Now, the finished mural sits opposite Maradona. They are a pair of perfect 10s.
Many other Messi murals exist around Buenos Aires. This is due to the passion for football in Argentina. Homeowners and businesses have commissioned street artists. They paint portraits of the World Cup-winning captain on walls and buildings. Some artworks of Messi are grand. Others are stencils or graffiti with Messi’s name.
Before Messi’s World Cup win, artworks of him were rare. Now, after Argentina’s victory, Messi mural mania has no limit. Argentine artist Marley has painted dozens of Messi murals. Many feature Messi with Argentina’s other famous number 10, Maradona.
Other murals feature Diego Maradona. They show him passing the baton to Messi. Or D10S looks down on him from heaven.
The Mural Messi-Maradona captures a nation’s love. It immortalizes a father’s promise. It celebrates two legends who united a country. This corner is now a place of pilgrimage. It is a place to celebrate Argentina’s football glory.