A solid gold replica of footballer Lionel Messi’s left foot, complete with blood vessels and the swirls of skin on the bottom of the toes, is to go on sale in Japan.

The 25-kilogramme (55-pound) statue, worth $5.25 million, was created from a mould of the star striker’s foot by Ginza Tanaka to mark Messi’s record-breaking fourth consecutive Ballon d’Or award.

The golden foot is due to go on sale on Thursday, along with a number of miniature versions and a solid gold plate of the Barcelona FC frontman’s footprint.

Part of the profits from the sale will go to help people affected by the quake and tsunami that hit Japan two years ago next Monday, through the Leo Messi Foundation, a charity run by the Messi family.