How much is Lionel Messi's left foot worth? £3.5m

The Ballon d'Or holder has foot cast in gold

A gold cast of Lionel Messi's left foot (GETTY IMAGES)

He's been the undisputed best player on the planet for the last four years, so how do you begin to value the magical left foot of Lionel Messi?

One way would be to cast it in solid gold and put a valuation of £3.5m on it, which is exactly what Japanese jeweller Ginza Tanaka has done.

The four-time World Player of the Year/Ballon d'Or winner had his foot cast in Spain at the end of last year and the result was unveiled in Tokyo today.

In a video message, the Argentina international said: "I'm honoured to have my foot recreated in pure gold."

Messi’s brother Rodrigo, who attended the unveiling, said: “It’s exceptional. You can see each line in the foot.”

The foot goes on sale tomorrow with part of the proceeds going to Messi’s foundation, which supports children around the world.