A bronze statue of Argentina captain Lionel Messi has been cut in half by vandals less than a year after it was unveiled in a statement from the Buenos Aires city government did not reveal the identity of any known suspects but stated that the statue would be repaired: sculpture of Messi was unveiled in June last year, just days after the Barcelona star had announced his retirement from the international game following Argentina’s defeat in the 2016 Copa America final, per BBC News . Argentina are struggling in the CONMEBOL qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup – they lie fifth in the South American standings.