Lionel Messi's Afghan fan has his dream fulfilled
A picture of a cute Afghan boy running around in a plastic bag Messi 10 jersey captured the imagination of the whole world and went viral. Now, the power of social media has ensured that the kid’s dream has come true.
All the toddler wanted was a shirt bearing the name of his idol Leo Messi and his brother Homayun, 15, made him one by cutting holes in a blue and white plastic bag and writing the name Messi and number 10 with a marker on the back.
Now, Murtaza has the real thing, an official Barcelona kit with Messi and the number 10 on the back. The toddler wore his new Barcelona strip for a kick about on a practice pitch at the Afghanistan Football Federation in Kabul. The officials from AFF also confirmed that they had received mails from both Barcelona and Lionel Messi himself about setting up a possible meeting with the Afghan fan.
The heartwarming story coming from the strife-ridden country of Afghanistan has captured the imagination of the people and Murtaza will definitely be one happy toddler having had his dream fulfilled.
Lionel Messi won’t represent Argentina at Rio Olympics
Messi will not be chasing a second Olympic gold medal at the Rio games this year revealed Gerardo Martino on Monday. The Argentine national team manager wants his star man Lionel Messi to not suffer a burnout after a gruelling season.
Martino who can take three players aged above 23 insisted that Lionel Messi will not be one of them. However, he also ensured that no stone would remain unturned in their effort to capture the gold medal at Rio.
"Messi won't go to the Olympic Games because there is a lot of competitions for the national team this year,"
"We have the Copa America, the Olympic Games and after that four rounds of the qualifiers," he told Radio La Red. "The reality at Barcelona shows the season will be long. I want to win very much but not at any price, nor for throwing the players on to the pitch for them to die there."
The 16 team competition Copa America will celebrate 100 years as the world’s oldest international competition and will be played between June 3rd to 26th with six teams from CONCAF and 10 member nations of CONMEBOL taking part.