Where On Google Earth?

Estado de Israel 525, S2001 Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina

This is Lionel Messi’s childhood home where he was born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina.

Long before the Ballon d’Ors, the Champions League triumphs, and lifting the FIFA World Cup, Lionel Messi was just a kid chasing a football through the streets of Rosario.

This neighborhood shaped the boy who would become one of the greatest players the sport has ever known. Just a short distance away, Messi honed his skills with Newell’s Old Boys, where his extraordinary talent first caught the world’s attention.

Today, this unassuming house has become a pilgrimage site for football fans from every corner of the globe. Visitors leave jerseys, scarves, flags, handwritten messages, and murals in tribute to the player who proved that greatness can begin on the most ordinary of streets.

Walk through the streets surrounding Lionel Messi’s childhood home in Rosario, and you’ll find an open-air tribute to the boy who became football’s greatest icon.

The walls of La Bajada, the neighborhood where Messi grew up, are covered with vibrant murals celebrating every stage of his journey—from the kid chasing a ball through the streets to the World Cup-winning captain of Argentina. The most famous, “From Another Galaxy… and From My Neighborhood,” stands opposite the primary school Messi attended, connecting his childhood with the global legacy he would go on to create.

Those who found it before the hint:

• Paul Voestermans
• Eloy Cano
• Martin de Bock
• Phil Ower
• Garfield
• Graham Hedley
• Lighthouse

And after the hint:

• Bernd

• FIFA Museum in Zürich, Switzerland

The FIFA Museum is an association football museum operated by FIFA. The museum is located in Zurich, Switzerland, across town from the FIFA headquarters. It opened on 28 February 2016.

The 3,500 m2 (38,000 sq ft) museum occupies the lower three floors of the renovated Haus zur Enge, a ten-story mixed-use building located in the Enge quarter, across from the Zurich Enge railway station and the FIFA-owned Hotel Ascot. The building also contains a sports bar, a bistro, a café, a library, a museum shop and conference rooms; the upper floors have office spaces and 34 luxury apartments.

The museum exhibits over one thousand objects. These include memorabilia from every FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup, the most famous one being the original FIFA World Cup Trophy. The exhibition features various interactive and multimedia installations such as the biggest pinball machine ever made and an audiovisual media installation called Visions of Football using 8 metres (26 ft) LED screens. In 2017, the museum was nominated for the German Design Award.

Those who found it, all before the hint:

• Graham Hedley
• Eloy Cano
• Paul Voestermans
• Martin de Bock
• Lighthouse
• Phil Ower
• Garfield

Estadio Pocitos, Montevideo, Uruguay

One of only two venues used on the opening day of the inaugural FIFA World Cup on 13 July 1930, Estadio Pocitos holds a unique place in football history. It was here that France’s Lucien Laurent scored the first goal ever recorded in a FIFA World Cup.

Despite its historic significance, the stadium did not stand the test of time. Home to Peñarol in its early years, Estadio Pocitos was eventually demolished as Montevideo expanded, with streets and residential buildings now occupying the site.

A stadium may disappear, but its place in football history remains permanent.

There is a street monument marking the place of the goal post by which the first WC goal occurred. It was made by local architect Eduardo di Mauro who was the winner of the sculpture competition called “In Search of the Lost Goal” which was held in 2006.

Those who found it, all of them before the hint:

• Eloy Cano
• Paul Voestermans
• Martin de Bock
• Graham Hedley
• Zorro the Fox*
• Phil Ower
• Lighthouse
• Garfield

*Message to all players: today, with reverse image search, and very strong AI tools, if you have no clear idea what the puzzle is about, please provide at least the exact coordinates of the puzzle, not only the city or other general location. Otherwise we cannot make sure that you really found the place. Thank you.

This week’s contest was about the maker of the balls used in the FIFA World Cup.

Forward Sports is a Pakistani multi-national company based in Sialkot, Punjab, specializing in the manufacture of sports equipment, primarily soccer balls. The company produces balls for prominent brands including Adidas. Founded in 1991 by Khawaja Masood Akhtar, Forward Sports began its partnership with Adidas in 1994. Since then, it has produced balls for many international events, including the UEFA Champions League on several occasions. It has been the official provider of balls for the 2014 FIFA World Cup (the Brazuca), the 2018 FIFA World Cup (the Telstar 18), the 2022 FIFA World Cup (the Al Rihla), and the 2026 FIFA World Cup (the Trionda).

World Cup balls made by Forward Sports in Sialkot, Pakistan.

Those who found the goal before the hint:

• Graham Hedley
• Eloy Cano
• Paul Voestermans
• Martin de Bock
• Garfield
• Phil Ower
• Lighthouse

And after the hint:

• Zorro the Fox
• donaaronio (welcome back!)