Lionel Messi’s mansion was targeted by climate activists on Tuesday, with protesters from the group Futuro Vegetal spray-painting the property to draw attention to the “responsibility of the rich for the climate crisis.”
The activists, who filmed their actions, displayed a banner reading: “Help the Planet — Eat the Rich — Abolish the Police” and defaced the mansion’s white facade with red and black paint.
Futuro Vegetal’s statement emphasized its aim to spotlight the disproportionate environmental impact of the wealthy. They described Messi’s mansion, located near Cala Tarida on Ibiza’s western coast, as an “illegal construction.”
The group referenced a 2023 Oxfam report noting that the richest one percent of the global population generated as many carbon emissions in 2019 as the poorest two-thirds, despite the latter suffering the most severe consequences of climate change.
Messi, currently playing for Inter Miami, bought the mansion in 2022 for about 11 million euros ($12 million) from a Swiss businessman.
Spanish media reports indicate that the property, which features a spa and a cinema room, lacks a certificate of occupancy due to several unlicensed constructions.
Futuro Vegetal is known for its provocative protests. In 2022, they glued their hands to Francisco de Goya paintings at Madrid’s Prado Museum and previously spray-painted a superyacht owned by Nancy Laurie, the billionaire heiress of Walmart.
In January, Spanish police arrested 22 members of Futuro Vegetal, including key figures involved in the Prado Museum protest.
