Tokyo, March 10: A pure gold replica of Barcelona football star Lionel Messi's left foot was unveiled in Tokyo on Wednesday (March 4 )
Valued at $ 5.25 million , the golden foot weighs 25 kilograms and measures 25 cm tall and 28 cm wide.
Lionel Messi's brother, Rodrigo Messi, who attended the news conference for the unveiling of the foot, said it was the first time he had seen the golden replica.
"It's exceptional, you can see each line on the foot. Its an impressive piece of work," Rodrigo said.
The foot was created by Japanese jeweler Ginza Tanaka to commemorate the football player's achievements.
"We loved the sound of making the 'Golden left foot', and it being gold, it was our goal to make the project of recreating Messi's left foot a reality," said Masakazu Tanaka, President of Tanaka Kikinzoku Jewellery which operates the Ginza Tanaka jewellery stores.
The jeweler said it had cast Messi's foot in Spain at the end of 2012, and brought the cast back to Japan for the production of the golden artifact.
The foot went on sale on Thursday, and it comes with an official certification issued by the Leo Messi Foundation, which helps children at risk around the world.
Other golden artifacts going on sale are Messi's golden footprint worth $ 94,500, and the "Golden Foot Mini", which is half the size of the actual golden foot, worth $ 42,000.
Part of the proceeds will go to Messi's foundation, which in turn will go to support children in areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami disaster that hit Japan in March 2011.
In a video message, Lionel Messi said he was happy to be part of the project.
"I'm honored to have my foot recreated in pure gold," he said in the video.
Originally from Argentina, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has won numerous awards, including multiple FIFA Ballon d'Ors, which recognizes the best football player in the world.
