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- In 2013, a gold cast of Lionel Messi's left foot valued at $5 million helped raise money for tsunami relief.
- The replica of the star's foot was made to help those affected by the 2011 Japanese tsunami.
- The Argentine recently joined swapped Barcelona PSG in a move worth $35 million a season.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
New PSG star Lionel Messi once raised money for a tsunami relief fund by having a golden cast of his left foot auctioned.
In 2013, after a year in which Messi scored 91 goals, Japanese jeweler Ginza Tanaka decided to commemorate the achievement by creating a golden replica of the Argentine's left foot.
The cast was taken at the end of 2012 while Messi was in Spain and not long after he won his fourth Ballon d'Or, the award given to soccer's best player each year.
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While Messi was not there in person for the unveiling, his brother Rodrigo was and he described it as "exceptional."
"You can see each line in the foot. It's an impressive piece of work." he said as reported by ESPN.
The foot was valued at $5 million and part of the proceeds went to Messi's foundation, which was helping those impacted by the tsunami in Japan in March 2011.
As well as the foot, other casts were made including a footprint and a half size replica of the Argentine's boot.
The dedication came after a year in which Messi scored 91 goals in a calendar year, breaking the previous record of 85 set by Bayern Munich's and Germany's Gerd Müller.
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"We loved the sound of making the 'golden left foot,' and it being gold, it was our goal to make the project of recreating Messi's left foot a reality," said Masakazu Tanaka, president of the jewelers.
Nine years later and Messi has swapped Barcelona for Paris as he makes a move worth $35 million a season to PSG.