Meet Lionel Messi’s Afghan fan Murtaza Ahmadi whose tragic story will leave you in tears | Photogallery

Do you keep in mind Murtaza Ahmadi? You could recall the Afghan boy for his heartwarming gesture of carrying a plastic bag with Lionel Messi’s title on it to showcase his love for the soccer legend. The little Afghan fan made technique to folks’s hearts again in 2016, when the 5-year-old posed for an image carrying his selfmade Messi jersey. Murtaza’s image went so viral that it reached Argentina and former Barcelona participant Messi himself who contacted UNICEF to ship his Afghan fan a a lot deserving present. Messi introduced the kid with a signed Argentina shirt together with his title on it in addition to a soccer. On the finish of 2016, Barcelona performed a pleasant match in Qatar and Murtaza was invited to fulfill his idol. Photos of the little child with Messi melted each soccer fan’s coronary heart. It was positive the happiest day for little Murtaza who hails from a small village of Jaghori district of southern Ghazni province. He was residing his dream till it became a nightmare. Ever since receiving presents from the soccer participant, issues took a tragic flip for Murtaza. Some folks suspected that the household will need to have obtained cash from Messi. Murtaza’s father Arif was quoted in a Bleacher Report, “Once I first noticed the containers I believed one would have toys for Murtaza and the opposite {dollars}, however no, a ball and a shirt.” He added, “Folks began asking us if Messi had given us cash.” Then got here a letter from the Taliban who threatened to kidnap the household, ensuing within the Admadi’s submitting an asylum request, which was denied. The Taliban didn’t like the eye Murtaza was receiving and the threats had been fixed. The little boy even stopped going to high school or taking part in exterior. Murtaza’s father anticipated Messi would assist his son simply how Cristiano Ronaldo did for a younger Syrian refugee. Murtaza was despatched to reside in Kabul together with his uncle within the hope he can be safer, the capital metropolis of Afghanistan. Now, the Taliban have consolidated management over the war-torn nation.

 (Reuters)