Climate activists from the group Futuro Vegetal vandalized Lionel Messi’s mansion in Ibiza, Spain to protest the wealthy’s responsibility for the climate crisis. The activists sprayed the white facade of Messi’s €11 million property with red and black paint and displayed a banner reading “Help the Planet — Eat the Rich — Abolish the Police”.
Futuro Vegetal cited a 2023 Oxfam report finding that the richest 1% of the global population generated the same carbon emissions in 2019 as the poorest two-thirds, despite vulnerable communities bearing the worst consequences of climate change. The group also criticized Messi’s mansion as an “illegal construction” lacking proper occupancy permits.
In a statement, Futuro Vegetal said they targeted Messi’s property to highlight the responsibility of the wealthy for the climate crisis. The activists are linked to similar groups that have staged numerous protests, including gluing themselves to paintings at Madrid’s Prado museum and vandalizing a superyacht in Ibiza last year.