Diego Maradona statue in India sees him join Ronaldo and Michael Jackson in list of beautiful game’s ugliest statues

Diego Maradona took time out on his tour of India to unveil a new statue in Calcutta capturing him lifting the World Cup in 1986. The only trouble is, it doesn’t really resemble the Argentine superstar, it looks more like Steve Bruce during his playing days.

Such misrepresentation is not a problem unique to Maradona, though, as the beautiful game has a particular problem with ugly statues.

And weird ones.

They do not come much weirder than the King of Pop. A statue of Michael Jackson was erected outside Fulham’s Craven Cottage ground by then chairman Mohammed al-Fayed, a friend of the singer. Needless to say it was a move that did not go down well with the Fulham faithful.

The statue was moved to the National Football Museum in Manchester after al-Fayed sold the club and MJ was not wanted by incoming owner Shahid Khan.

When Cristiano Ronaldo became one of the few living people to have an airport named after them, Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport in Funchal, Madeira, the authorities decided to splash out on a bust.

Apparently, they sent the sculptor a photo of Australian boxer Danny Green instead of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. Although social media put forward a host of other candidates it could have been based on, the agreement was that it was not Ronaldo and much merriment was to be had at his expense.

While the airport has since commissioned a much better likeness that is not the only time that the Portuguese serial winner has been the subject of ridicule for an artist’s representation of him.