A 5-year-old boy named Murtaza from Afghanistan is a huge Lionel Messi fan. He even made his own jersey to wear when he plays soccer in the fields. He had to use a plastic bag and marker, but it was his favorite player’s colors and name! Murtaza even had to play soccer in the fields with a ball that wouldn’t hold air. His father is a farmer, and being able to afford the real things just wasn’t a reality for the family.
After the story broke earlier this year, Lionel Messi’s father heard about it, and was able to coordinate everything that had to happen to get Lionel himself involved. After a couple weeks, Lionel was able to send two jerseys and a brand new (and air-tight) soccer ball to Murtaza! UNICEF stepped in and was able to get everything delivered through the borders and to the family. There’s a rumor that UNICEF is even working on getting a meeting between Murtaza and Messi himself! Talk about a dream come true for Murtaza!
Here’s 5-year-old Murtaza in his new gear!
Here’s the full story from CBS with more pictures.
