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five-year-old Afghan boy and Lionel Messi fan Murtaza Ahmadi posing with his plastic bag T-shirt in Jaghori district of Ghazni province in a photo provided by the child’s family and taken on January 24, 2016 (l), and FC Barcelona’s Argentine striker Lionel Messi talking to Murtaza Ahmadi on the pitch before the start of a friendly football match against Saudi Arabia’s al-Ahli FC on 13 December 2016 in Qatar.
Lionel Messi is without a doubt one of the greatest idols in the world of football, among young and old who someday dream of being a great footballer at the level of the Argentine player. This admiration for the PSG player, former FC Barcelona, 34 years old, has always reached all corners of the world, and it was precisely in Afghanistan, a region that is currently crossing a moment difficult due to the return of the Taliban to power, where we met in 2016 the little boy Murtaza Ahmadi.
Murtaza Ahmadi, now 10 years old, became world-renowned when a photo and videos of him went viral, as the little boy was wearing a T-shirt made of a blue plastic bag, painted with stripes. white, with the name of the soccer player Leo Messi and his number 10, alluding to the clothing of the Argentina Selection. Due to the monetary conditions of his family, his parents did not have the resources to buy a real T-shirt, so the Argentine star, moved by the images, wanted to meet Murtaza, fulfilling the desire to be able to use the Leo Messi uniform and be on the field next to the athlete in a match played in Qatar.
Now, the ten-year-old and his family are hiding in a small apartment in Kabul for fear of possible retaliation from the Taliban. In this place, they are two months ago, when they left frightened from their village, located in the province of Ghazni, a Shiite Hazara minority, a constant target of attacks, especially from the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.
Due to the conditions and fear for what is happening in the country since last August 15, Murtaza and his family are asking for help, especially Leo Messi, to be able to leave Afghanistan.
In statements to EFE, quoted by ESPN, the young man stated: “I am trapped at home and I cannot leave because I am very afraid of the Taliban. I want to travel to a safe place from Afghanistan. Please save this situation “
Getty ImagesThis photo was taken on January 24, 2016 and provided by the family of Afghan child and Lionel Messi fan Murtaza Ahmadi, 5, wearing his plastic bag T-shirt in Jaghori district of Ghazni province.
Although quite some time has passed, the young man never takes off from a soccer ball, nor does he stop wearing the shirt of the football player and idol.
“In my dream I see the Taliban come, knock on the door and shout at me. What will happen to us? We were already under threat,” Mahdia Ahmadi, the minor’s sister, told EFE, assuring that since that meeting with Messi, they had already received some threats. Because of these threats, the little boy was unable to attend school for years, according to information from the Mexican Sun.
Getty ImagesIn this photo taken on January 29, 2016, Afghan child and Lionel Messi fan Murtaza Ahmadi, 5, wears a plastic bag T-shirt while playing football in Jaghori district of Ghazni province.
Finally, due to the continuing dire situation in Afghanistan, following the return of the Taliban and the withdrawal of US troops, there have been thousands of people, government employees, members of the security forces, activists. and journalists who have already managed to leave the country on one of the international evacuation flights. However, many people dream of running away somehow, risking even their own lives.
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