UAE businessman gifts Argentina football house to passionate Lionel Messi fan in Kerala
Afi Ahmed, a UAE businessman, has built an Argentina-themed house for Lionel Messi fan Subair Vazhakkad in Kerala, India.
Subair went viral for his engaging Malayalam commentary during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Despite having no professional qualification, the small-time farmer captivated listeners with his in-depth analysis of players, team and games.
When Afi learned about Subair's passion for football and his love for Messi and Argentina, the business tycoon offered to fly Subair to Qatar to watch his favourites live.
Subair, though, had to turn the opportunity down, as he had to take care of his ailing family members. His sacrifice and dutifulness impressed Afi, who went on to build a one-of-a-kind Argentina-themed house for him in the Vazhakkad village of Kerala’s Malappuram district.
Having received the unexpected gift, Subair told Gulf News (via mmnews.tv):
“It is my dream home. I don’t have words to thank him.”
It's to be noted that this is not the first time Afi has shown kindness to a Messi fan. He had previously flown young Messi fan Muhammad Nibras to Qatar after seeing him in a state of despair following Argentina’s 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in their World Cup opener.
Lionel Messi wants to understand PSG’s plans before agreeing contract extension
Lionel Messi's Paris Saint-Germain contract expires in June. According to multiple reports, the two parties have been discussing a renewal for a while, but a definitive agreement is yet to be reached.
In his column for CBS Sports, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano talked about Messi’s future at PSG, saying that the Argentine would only agree one after learning about the club's plans for the summer. Romano’s column read:
“After the first meeting in person a few weeks ago between the Paris Saint-Germain board and player's father, Jorge Messi, Leo has already received a proposal for a new contract, but there is still no definitive agreement. The verbal pact reached in December has not yet become a contract signed because the player wants to understand how the PSG project will evolve in the summer.”
It continued:
“Who will be the new signings? Who will be the coach; will Christophe Galtier remain, or they will change again? What is the team idea PSG want to present for 2023-2024? These answers are gonna be a decisive step in getting Messi's yes.”
Lionel Messi has played 66 games for the Parisians since arriving in the summer of 2021, scoring 29 times and claiming 32 assists.