The statue of Barcelona star Lionel Messi in Buenos Aries has been brutalised.

Marca reports the sculpture, inaugurated in June in Buenos Aires, was vandalised and now has no torso, head or arms.

Paseo de la Gloria of the Costanera Sur is where homage is paid to great Argentine athletes, among them tennis players Gabriela Sabatini and Guillermo Vilas, NBA basketball player Emanuel Ginobili, five-time Formula 1 world champion Juan Manuel Fangio and hockey player Luciana Aymar

All that's left of Messi's statue is his legs with a ball so it will now have to be repaired.