The environmental organization ‘Futuro Vegetal’ has made headlines with their latest action. A video released shows two individuals standing in front of Messi’s house, holding a banner that reads, “Help the Earth. Down with the rich. Down with the police.” They then spray slogans in red and black paint on Messi’s house walls.
In a statement, they explained their goals. They want to make wealthy individuals understand their significant role and responsibility in saving the Earth and its environment. They also labeled Messi’s house construction in Ibiza as ‘illegal.’ Citing Oxfam’s 2023 report, Futuro Vegetal stated that the world’s wealthiest individuals, who make up only 1% of the population, emitted as much carbon in 2019 as two-thirds of the world’s poor population.
In 2022, Messi left PSG to join the US club Inter Miami. According to reports, he purchased a mansion worth 12 million dollars (approximately 141 crore Bangladeshi Taka) on the Mediterranean coast in Ibiza, which includes a movie theater.
It has been reported that there are deed-related issues with Messi’s property. The local government has only issued a permit for living in the mansion. Spanish media claim that parts of the mansion were built on illegal land. Since 2022, Futuro Vegetal has been actively campaigning on various environmental issues. That year, they glued themselves to a painting by Spanish artist Francisco de Goya in Madrid’s Prado Museum.