The Internet Wins: 5-Year-Old Lionel Messi Fan in a Plastic Jersey Will Finally Meet the Soccer Star
Earlier in January, a little boy made waves throughout the internet after he was spotted wearing a plastic bag with blue and white stripes and Messi’s name and No. 10 on the back. The image of the kid with his makeshift jersey went viral in various social media sites, with sports agencies trying to get Lionel Messi to respond and hopefully hand him a real uniform.
According to Fox News Latino, Murtaza Ahmadi, who is from Afghanistan, will finally get to meet his football idol, according to Afghan soccer officials. Murtaza lives in a distant village in Ghazni province, ravaged by war. The boy five-year-old talked to EFE via telephone, sharing how much he admired Messi and wanted to meet and play with the Argentine star.
According to Murtazi’s father, Arif, his son asked them for a Messi jersey, although it was impossible to acquire one because of their village’s remote location. The father admitted that he could not afford to purchase a replica jersey for his son, adding that Murtaza only played with a punctured soccer ball. Murtaza has five other siblings and usually plays soccer with his brothers.
“The management of the Afghan Football Federation (AFF) has received e-mails from Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona regarding the meeting,” Syed Ali Kazemi, spokesman of AFF, told EFE.
The farmer father said that Murtaza woke up at midnight and began crying in his bed. He later found a blue and white plastic bag and had his brothers make a Messi jersey for him. The boy reportedly still wears the plastic jersey whenever he is playing with his friends.
The Telegraph stated that his older brother, Homayoun, 15, shared the photos of Murtaza with the plastic jersey on Facebook earlier this month. The photo went viral as people tried to search for the kid. Others spread the images, asking agencies to provide him with a real football shirt. Murtaza’s uncle, Azim Ahamdi, who is in Australia, informed people about the boy’s identity and location.
Arif also said that he has high hopes for Murtaza, and wants him to become a good football player someday. He said that Murtaza might be the “Messi of Afghanistan.”
Football is a very popular sport in Afghanistan. The national stadium in Kabul was actually used for executions during the Taliban regime.
More updates and details on Murtaza Ahmadi and his dream meeting with Lionel Messi are expected soon.
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