Climate activists from Futuro Vegetal spray-painted Lionel Messi’s mansion in Ibiza on Tuesday, aiming to highlight the “responsibility of the rich for the climate crisis.” The group released a video showing members in front of the property holding a banner reading, “Help the Planet — Eat the Rich — Abolish the Police,” before spraying the facade with red and black paint.
The activists targeted Messi’s mansion, which they claim was illegally constructed, to underscore the disproportionate carbon emissions generated by the wealthiest. Citing a 2023 Oxfam report, they emphasized that the richest one percent produced as much carbon in 2019 as the poorest two-thirds of humanity.
Messi, currently playing for Inter Miami, reportedly bought the mansion in 2022 for around 11 million euros. However, the property has faced legal issues due to unlicensed rooms lacking a certificate of occupancy.
Futuro Vegetal has a history of similar protests, including a 2022 incident where they glued their hands to paintings at Madrid’s Prado museum and spray-painted a yacht owned by a Walmart heiress. Spanish police have previously arrested several members of the group.
