Soccer truly is the world's sport. That was apparent when a photo surfaced of a young Afghani boy wearing a Lionel Messi jersey he had made from a plastic bag.
The picture went viral on Twitter, and Messi's representative set to work trying to find him:
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
That mission was a success: Murtaza Ahmadi was found, and Messi was eager to give him an incredible gift: A real Messi jersey, featuring the blue-and-white stripes of the Argentine national team.
The jersey was even signed, as was a soccer ball gifted to the boy.
"I love Messi and my shirt says Messi loves me," says the five-year-old, according to a post on UNICEF's Facebook page.
When you're resourceful as that little guy was, you deserve the world's attention. Maybe Messi's gift will insipre Ahmadi to become a great soccer player himself.