Photos of a 5-year-old youngster sporting a homemade Messi jersey shirt made from a blue and white striped plastic bag went viral in February 2016.

On the shirt was the player’s number from the football team. When the Afghanistan Football Federation staff saw the pictures,

they decided to arrange a meeting between the young child, Murtaza Ahmadi, and his hero, Lionel Messi.

In the pictures, a little child wearing a plastic shirt with Messi’s name and number printed in black ink is seen playing football close to his home in the eastern province of Ghazni.

Murtaza is said to be the son of a low-income family who resides in the outlying Joghori neighborhood.

Murtaza watches his idol on television, according to the boy’s father Arif Ahmadi, and their home is powered by solar energy.

Arif Ahmadi stated, ‘He begged me repeatedly to purchase a Messi shirt. ‘I was unable to support him.Later, after making him this plastic garment, his brother shared a picture of him on Facebook.

When the pictures were taken, Murtaza was playing football and doing some drills in Kabul’s national stadium. He had a customized shirt on top of Barcelona kit.

Sayed Ali Kazemi, a spokesman for the Afghan Football Federation, stated that they were hoping Lionel Messi would travel to Afghanistan to meet with Murtaza;

if not, the federation would make arrangements for the boy and a friend to travel to Spain to meet with Messi,

where the football legend is currently representing team Barcelona. If not, Messi and the boy can meet in a nation between their respective countries.

The president of the Afghanistan Football Federation, Keramuddin Karim, stated that the Spanish embassy was prepared to give visas for them.

‘We are attempting to get in touch with Barcelona directly to set up the meeting’s where, when, and date.’

According to the Barcelona forward’s management group, Murtaza finally received an autographed Argentina jersey and football after a few weeks had gone. When the young child wore the signed shirt, pictures published online quickly went viral.

The TV station finally identified the young kid and posted his tale on their website after Azim Ahmadi, Murtaza’s uncle who resides in Australia, instructed them to contact his brother Arif in Afghanistan.

In December 2016, the young boy’s wish was realized. Finally, Murtaza Ahmadi got to meet Lionel Messi, his idol.

Messi and his Barça colleagues were participating in a friendly football match against Al Ahli FC when they were in Qatar.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar organizing committee arranged for Murtaza to fly from Afghanistan to Qatar to meet with his idol in person.

Lionel and Murtaza posed for pictures inside the team hotel holding hands. The youngster wore a Barcelona jersey.

’I’m overjoyed to have finally met my hero. Murtaza, who was beaming, said, ‘It is a dream for me. They entered the field together before the game, holding hands.

When pictures of Murtaza Ahmadi playing football close to his house in the eastern Ghazni province went viral online, he became an instant internet sensation.

He was sporting a plastic bag with Messi’s name and number printed on it in black ink, which was striped in blue and white like the Argentinian team jersey.

Lionel Messi sent the young child signed Barcelona and Argentina jerseys a few weeks later.