This 230-foot-tall mural of Lionel Messi has appeared on the side of an apartment block in the footballing icon’s Argentinian hometown.

The image of the PSG and former Barcelona star was painted on the side of an apartment block in front of the Parana River in Messi’s hometown of Rosario in the northern Argentinian province of Santa Fe.

The mural shows Messi in his iconic No.10 Argentina shirt, staring into the distance with his hand on his heart.

The 70-metre- (230-foot-) tall image was painted by a group of local artists that included Lisandro Urteaga, who considers Messi to be the perfect role model, and highlights his long list of achievements as a Barcelona and Argentina player.

The creators said Rosario residents are proud of the footballing legend and can now see his image every day from miles around.

Officials from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology inaugurated the image of the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner on Monday in honour of their local hero.

Schoolchildren and local artists Urteaga, Marlene Zuriaga, and Carlos Barocelli were in attendance, and the event included art and craft workshops. Some of the finished artwork will be sent directly to Messi by the organisers at a later date.

The mural took about a month to complete and involved the permission of the building owners, Rosario firm BBZ Constructora, as well as a local paint company, which donated 180 litres of paint and other products to use in its creation.