Wynwood has a new addition to its vibrant array of murals, this time paying homage to none other than Argentinian football legend, Lionel Messi! The player is expected to make his highly anticipated Inter Miami debut after swapping Paris Saint-Germain for Miami, and we can tell just how much the city is excited. This is quite the greeting if we’ve ever seen one!
The massive new mural, which depicts him in his new jersey and a close-up of his smiling face, is being brought to life by Argentine artist Maximiliano “Maxi” Bagnasco. While working on the piece earlier this week, Maxi got a surprise visit from Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham, which resulted in the former Manchester United midfielder applying some finishing touches to the mural.
In a series of Instagram clips posted by Victoria Beckham, David can be seen on an aerial lift, “whitening” Messi’s teeth.
“I think that David has done a really good job of painting Messi here in Miami. We’ve only been here a few days and he has got straight to it,” Victoria said in one of the videos. “Look, it’s massive. Is there nothing that David Beckham can’t do? He’s up there, painting away. I’m impressed.”
This isn’t Maxi’s first mural paying homage to the soccer legend. His Messi artworks have graced the walls of buildings in Tirana, Albania and Palermo, Buenos Aires, among others.
“I say I’m slowing spreading Argentina throughout the world as I paint its most famous personalities in other countries,” Bagnasco told WPLG Local 10 in Spanish. “I get up at 6 a.m., so I can be here at 7, until the sun goes down, which is around 8 p.m.”
The new mural decorates the walls of a mixed-use building at 148 NW 28 Street in Wynwood. You can see more of Maxi’s incredible work on his Instagram account.
While this is the latest mural going up of Messi in the city, it isn’t the only one! The first mural to celebrate Messi’s arrival also stands tall in Wynwood, by Venezuelan artist Arlex Campos. Located at 2303 NW 2nd Avenue, you can see the player’s blue and white stripes from Argentina blended with Inter Miami’s pink uniform.
Fiorito, an Argentinian restaurant located in Little Haiti, is also home to a brick-painted mural of Messi. Except it was created long before the commotion that came about by Messi’s arrival, by Chilean-American artist Claudio Picasso. The restaurant is located at 5555 NE 2nd Avenue.
There’s certainly no shortage of beautiful street art in Miami — especially ones with Messi — so be sure to stop by them all!