logo
Digital artwork of Lionel Messi's favorite goal sold for $1.87M to mystery buyer

Digital artwork of Lionel Messi's favorite goal sold for $1.87M to mystery buyer

A Goal in Life: Messi x Refik Anadol, the artwork created by world renowned artist Refik Anadol using artificial intelligence, and inspired by global soccer star Lionel Messi's favorite goal, was auctioned at Christie's for $1.87 million on Tuesday. The auction house has not disclosed the identity of the buyer.
Advertisement
All proceeds from the auction will benefit the Inter Miami Foundation, which plans to use the funds to support a variety of charitable initiatives. This includes a partnership with UNICEF aimed at enhancing education programs in Argentina, Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, and Haiti.
In an exclusive interview with The Athletic before the auction, Anadol expressed his hope the sculpture won't disappear into private hands. 'This isn't just a collaboration between two people, it's a dialogue between two disciplines,' he said. 'It's not artist meets artist; it's sport meets art. And that's what makes it so fresh and powerful.'
Anadol spent several weeks creating this one of a kind digital art project using machine and AI to reconstruct Messi's most personal favorite goal in 3D, effectively bringing a 16-year-old memory into the present with technology that didn't exist in 2009.
The goal itself was a masterpiece. In 2009, a 22-year-old Messi was playing for Pep Guardiola's Barcelona against Manchester United, facing his future arch-rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, only weeks before the Portuguese star's move to Real Madrid that summer. In the 70th minute of the Champions League final in Rome's Stadio Olumpico, with Barcelona already up 1–0, Xavi Hernández floated a pinpoint cross into the box. Despite standing just 5 ft 7 in (1.65 meters) tall, Messi (nicknamed La Pulga, 'the Flea' in English for his small stature,) rose above the towering 6'2' Rio Ferdinand and met the ball with a perfectly timed header, sending it curling into the far corner of the net. He leapt so high his boot flew off, but it didn't matter. With arms outstretched and a grin of disbelief, Messi celebrated a goal that would go down in history.
'It's hard to choose just one, there have been so many,' Messi told the crew who interviewed him a few months ago in an interview that has not been shared with the public until now. 'That goal is my favorite,' he smiled. 'It was the most beautiful and unique, because it was a header, I jumped really high, which is rare for me,' he explained.
Advertisement
'To see a work of art born from Messi's most cherished goal not only captivate thousands of visitors but also generate vital support for children's education across Latin America and the Caribbean is profoundly moving,' Ximena Caminos, the curator who facilitated the collaboration, said in a statement after the auction. 'This sale is a testament to the power of art, technology, and sport to create real-world impact. We hope this is just the beginning — that many more around the world will have the chance to experience this emotional, immersive journey into memory, movement, and meaning.'
Anadol's work has been on display at Christie's New York in Rockefeller Center since July 12, coinciding with Christie's 10th Art+Tech Summit Over ten days, thousands of soccer fans, collectors and art lovers experienced the artwork in person according to Sebastian Sanchez, Christie's manager of digital sales. The bid started at $1.5million (£1.1m).
This is not Anadol's first charity sale. Three years ago, Christie's sold another mutant digital sculpture he created inspired by Gaudí's Casa Batlló for $1,380,000. A few years later, in 2024 a collection of six shirts worn by Lionel Messi during the 2022 World Cup became the most expensive sports memorabilia sold that year after being bought at auction for $7.8million (£6.1m).
In terms of the future of A Goal in Life, the public displays ended with the auction. The buyer of this one of a kind 20 feet by 12 feet digital art piece will be able to work with the artist's studio to install the piece wherever they choose, providing their own hardware.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Grealish among Napoli targets - Thursday's gossip
Grealish among Napoli targets - Thursday's gossip

Yahoo

time9 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Grealish among Napoli targets - Thursday's gossip

Manchester City winger Grealish among Napoli targets, Javi Guerra rejects Valencia contract amid Manchester United interest and Tottenham monitor United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo. Manchester City and England winger Jack Grealish, 29, is one of several left-sided players being considered by Napoli. (Corriere dello Sport - in Italian) Javi Guerra has rejected an offer to renew his contract with Valencia, with Manchester United said to be monitoring the 22-year-old Spanish midfielder. (Marca - in Spanish) Tottenham are closely monitoring Kobbie Mainoo, with the Manchester United midfielder yet to agree a long-term extension to his contract, which expires in 2027. ( Atalanta plan to make a move for Liverpool and Italy winger Federico Chiesa, 27, if Juventus meet their €50m (£43m) valuation to sign Nigeria forward Ademola Lookman, 27. (Football Italia) West Ham are in talks with Callum Wilson over a free transfer following the 33-year-old England striker's release from Newcastle. (Sky Sports) Spurs are monitoring the contract situation of Bayern Munich's Joao Palhinha. The Bavarian club are open to talks should an offer arrive for the 30-year-old Portuguese international. (Florian Plettenberg) RB Leipzig have named attacking midfielder Xavi Simons in their training camp squad, despite the 22-year-old being linked with a move to Chelsea and the Dutch international holding talks over personal terms with the Blues. (Standard) Borussia Dortmund are interested in signing 20-year-old Brighton midfielder Facundo Buonanotte. The Argentina international spent last season on loan at Leicester City and has three years left on his contract. (Sky Sports) Talks between Marseille and Feyenoord for Brazilian winger Igor Paixao are at a standstill after the French club's £24m bid fell short of the asking price. (RMC - in French) Leeds United now retain hope of signing the 25-year-old. (Yorkshire Evening Post) Turkey midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu has been linked with a move away from Inter Milan but the 31-year-old says he wants to stay at the Italian club. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian) Manchester City want to keep Ederson despite Galatasaray expressing an interest in the 31-year-old Brazil goalkeeper, who is about to enter the final year of his contract. (The Independent) Fulham are confident of keeping hold of academy midfielder Seth Ridgeon despite Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea showing interest in the 16-year-old England Under-17 captain. (Standard) All your football quizzes in one place Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast Follow your club with BBC Sport

Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence visits Sporting Jax women's soccer team's practice
Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence visits Sporting Jax women's soccer team's practice

Yahoo

time19 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence visits Sporting Jax women's soccer team's practice

Jacksonville already knows about Trevor Lawrence on the football field. And, increasingly, on the golf course. Now, the Jacksonville Jaguars' quarterback is getting an up-close look at the global variety of football on the First Coast. Lawrence shared a brief message of encouragement before the July 15 practice for Sporting Club Jacksonville's women's soccer squad, which is preparing for its inaugural season in the Gainbridge Super League. Sporting Jax's kickoff will be the city's first ever for a top-division professional women's sports franchise. The quarterback's appearance at training was not open to media, but Lawrence also posed for a group photo with the team and received a ceremonial No. 16 Sporting Jax jersey. "We appreciated him taking the time to come and say hi to us and wish us luck this season," Sporting Jax defender Grace Phillpotts said. "The same to them. It's been so cool meeting the other professional teams here in Jacksonville." "It's nice to know two professional teams here in Jacksonville came together today," said Sporting Jax coach Stacey Balaam. "I think that's really special." Balaam coached for six seasons on the staff at the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega, about an hour and a half northeast of Lawrence's Georgia hometown of Cartersville. And Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, part of the Sporting Jax ownership group, played alongside Lawrence during the Jaguars' 2021 preseason. What's next for Trevor Lawrence and Sporting Jax? It's far from the only cross-sport appearance for Lawrence, who threw out the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp's season-opening pitch in baseball in 2023 and dropped the puck to open the Jacksonville Icemen's ECHL home hockey playoff campaign in 2024. Lawrence, entering his fifth season with the Jaguars, is scheduled to report to training camp on July 22 along with the team's other veterans. He returned to Jacksonville this week after competing at golf's American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Nevada. The Sporting Jax women, following two closed-door training matches, begin their preseason Aug. 2 against Scottish champion Hibernian at the University of North Florida's Hodges Stadium. The first regular season game will be held at Hodges Stadium on Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. against DC Power FC. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Trevor Lawrence: Jaguars QB visits Sporting Jax women's soccer practice

Inter Miami's Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba To Miss MLS All-Star Game
Inter Miami's Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba To Miss MLS All-Star Game

Fox News

timean hour ago

  • Fox News

Inter Miami's Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba To Miss MLS All-Star Game

Lionel Messi will miss the Major League Soccer All-Star Game against Liga MX on Wednesday night. Messi's teammate at Inter Miami, Jordi Alba, will also miss the game. An MLS spokesperson said Inter Miami informed league officials that the two players will not appear in the match at Q2 Stadium. Both could face a one-match suspension for missing the All-Star Game without a credible injury report. The league will speak with Inter Miami officials before providing an update on possible suspensions. Messi missed the All-Star Game last year with an injury. Messi is tied with Nashville forward Sam Surridge for the MLS lead in goals scored with 18. Messi has scored two goals in six of his last seven matches. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store