"A Goal in Life: Messi x Refik Anadol" is an AI-generated artwork by world-renowned artist Refik Anadol, inspired by one of Lionel Messi's favorite goals.
Anadol's work was displayed at Christie’s in New York's Rockefeller Center from 12/7 to 22/7. According to Sebastian Sanchez, Christie's digital sales manager, thousands of soccer fans, collectors, and art enthusiasts viewed the piece during its 10-day exhibition. The starting price for the auction on 22/7 was $1.5 million, and an anonymous buyer purchased it for $1.87 million.
All proceeds from the auction will go to the Inter Miami CF Foundation, supporting charitable initiatives. The foundation collaborates with UNICEF to improve education in Argentina, Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, and Haiti.
Speaking to The Athletic before the auction, Anadol expressed his hope that the artwork wouldn't be hidden away by its new owner. "This is not just a collaboration between two individuals, but a dialogue between two fields," the Istanbul-born artist said. "It's not artist meets artist, but sports meets art. That makes the piece new and powerful."
In 2009, playing for Pep Guardiola's Barcelona, a 22-year-old Messi faced Manchester United in the Champions League final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. In the 70th minute, with Barca leading 1-0, Xavi Hernandez chipped the ball into the penalty area. Despite being only 5'5", Messi leaped over 6'2" defender Rio Ferdinand to head the ball past goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, sealing a 2-0 victory for the Spanish side.
The Argentinian forward jumped so high that one of his shoes came off. With arms outstretched and a look of disbelief, Messi celebrated the historic goal.
Sixteen years later, in an interview, Messi chose this header as his favorite goal of his career. "Perhaps, it's the one against Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League final. It's beautiful and unique because it was a header, and I jumped very high, which is rare for me."
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Messi scores a header against Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. Photo: AP |
Messi scores a header against Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. Photo: AP
"Messi, to me, is like a conductor, orchestrating space and time with logic. That header wasn't just a goal; it was a gateway, a moment that transformed a boy into a maestro. If I paint with data, Messi paints with movement," Anadol, a passionate soccer fan, told The Athletic.
Anadol and his team of engineers and researchers recreated Messi's goal using 2D footage from UEFA, player-tracking data, and machine learning algorithms. They then used machine learning and AI to rebuild the moment in 3D, bringing the 16-year-old memory into the present using technology that didn't exist in 2009.
Every frame and movement was mathematically recreated: the ball's speed and trajectory, the position and movement of each player, the synchronized coordination of the players on the field. It's not just watching the goal again; it's AI reconstructing it, filling in the gaps, and analyzing the physics and decision-making within those few seconds.
In addition to the data, an 8-minute interview with Messi, in which he discussed the goal, his emotions, and its significance, was used to create the audio. "We analyzed Messi's voice, facial expressions, and emotional cues to weave those feelings into the project," Anadol explained. "The result isn't just a digital artwork, but a data sculpture. It’s not made of bronze or marble, but is an architectural-scale, fully immersive installation."
Public exhibitions of "A Goal in Life: Messi x Refik Anadol" concluded after the auction. The buyer of the 6x3.5 meter digital artwork will have the opportunity to work with Anadol's studio to install it at a location of their choosing, using their own hardware.
This is not Anadol's first charitable auction. Three years ago, Christie’s sold another of his digital sculptures inspired by Antoni Gaudi's Casa Batllo for $1.38 million.
"A Goal in Life: Messi x Refik Anadol" is not the highest-priced Messi-related item sold at auction. In 2024, a collection of six of his jerseys from the 2022 World Cup became the most expensive sports memorabilia of the year, selling for $7.8 million.
Ha Phuong (The Athletic)
