Lionel Messi didn't win the Ballon d'Or for best player in the world in 2016. But he won Tuesday.
Murtaza Ahmadi is a six-year-old Afghani boy who became famous last January when he made a Messi Argentina jersey out of a plastic bag. UNICEF subsequently brought Murtaza a signed Messi jersey.
Tremenda imagen. Un niño en Irak se las ingenia para jugar con la camiseta de su ídolo. The Beautiful Game. pic.twitter.com/O7iMtX1bhe
— Juez Central (@Juezcentral) January 16, 2016
However, this story is not perfect. Murtaza's father revealed in May that the family was forced out of their home due to telephone threats. The Afghan soccer federation was in the process of setting up a meeting between Murtaza and Messi, but the family resettled in Pakistan.
But on Tuesday, the connection was finally made. In Dohar, Qatar, where Barcelona is set to play a friendly against Al Ahli, Messi held Murtaza -- in a fresh Barcelona jersey -- for a photo opp.
أخيراً مرتضى يلتقي بميسي! اللجنة العليا ساعدت الطفل الأفغاني على تحقيق حلمه في #قطر. #الاهلي_برشلونة pic.twitter.com/LFHau5wWMj
— Road to 2022 (@roadto2022) December 13, 2016
According to the BBC, Messi and Murtaza are expected to walk onto the pitch together before Tuesday evening's match.
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