Answer & explanation
The official answer, with Fermi’s reasoning step by step.
Answer & explanation
Official answer
4,800
balloons
How to estimate it
Fermi’s official “Napkin math”
Messi is small for a footballer, around 70 kilograms. How much can one party balloon lift? Barely anything, about 14 grams, so it takes roughly 70 balloons to lift a single kilogram.
- Messi
- 70 kg
- Balloons per kilogram
- × 70
- 70 × 70
- ≈ 4,900
Messi is small for a footballer, around 150 pounds. How much can one party balloon lift? Barely anything, about half an ounce, so it takes roughly 30 balloons to lift a single pound.
- Messi
- 150 lb
- Balloons per pound
- × 30
- 150 × 30
- ≈ 4,500
Rounded assumptions may give a slightly different estimate. The official answer above is the game’s reference value.
Source calculation & reference
- Messi's listed weight
- 148 lb ≈ 67 kg
- Lift per 11" helium balloon
- ≈ 14 g
- 67,000 ÷ 14
- ≈ 4,800
Reference cited by Fermi: Inter Miami CF roster (148 lb) · 11" latex balloon lift
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