BBC Homepage
  • Skip to content
  • Accessibility Help
  • Your account
  • Notifications
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • More menu
More menu
Search BBC
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
Close menu
BBC News
Menu
  • Home
  • InDepth
  • Israel-Gaza war
  • War in Ukraine
  • Climate
  • UK
  • World
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Culture
More
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Health
  • Family & Education
  • In Pictures
  • Newsbeat
  • BBC Verify
  • Disability
  • Trending

Afghan boy bags real Messi shirt - finally

  • Published
    25 February 2016
Share page
About sharing
Media caption,

Murtaza received a special package sent by Lionel Messi

BBC Trending
What's popular and why

The Afghan boy who became an online hit after wearing a homemade shirt bearing Lionel Messi's famous number 10 has finally received the real thing - from the Argentine footballer himself.

BBC Trending helped to locate the child known as "Messi's biggest fan", five-year-old Murtaza Ahmadi, who comes from the Jaghori District, in the eastern Ghazni province of Afghanistan.

Messi's management team confirmed on Thursday that Murtaza was sent a signed Argentina shirt and football from the Barcelona forward, who has been crowned the world's best player five times.

"I love Messi and my shirt says Messi loves me," Murtaza said - already perfecting his own goal celebration.

Media caption,

Denise Shepherd-Johnson describes meeting 5 year-old Messi fan Murtaza Ahmadi

The online search for the boy was sparked by a single photo that went viral, showing him wearing the homemade shirt made from a striped blue plastic bag, imitating the famous Argentina strip.

Claims initially followed that the boy was an Iraqi Kurd and that the Barcelona star wanted to find the young fan to give him a proper shirt.

But the source of the online rumours claiming that the picture was taken in Dohuk, Iraq, later admitted making it up.

Murtaza was finally identified as the boy in the picture after his uncle, Azim Ahmadi, an Afghan living in Australia, put BBC Trending in touch with his brother, Arif - the young devoted Messi fan's father.

Photo of Murtaza in his homemade shirtImage source, Twitter/joynaw5
Image caption,

Murtaza wearing his homemade shirt - which sparked the online search for the young fan

The Ghazni farmer confirmed his son was the boy who captured people's imaginations worldwide and added that Murtaza was "extremely happy".

Messi is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (Unicef) and the agency helped to get the shirt to the boy, posting the picture of Murtaza on its Facebook page., external

line
Unicef Facebook postImage source, Unicef/Facebook
line

Follow BBC Trending on Facebook

Join the conversation on this and other stories here, external.

line

Messi also sent some extra shirts, which may now be snapped up by Murtaza's family, including his oldest brother Hamayon, who published the original pictures on Facebook, which then went viral.

It's not clear what's happened to the plastic bag, which may now have been retired.

Blog by Stephen Fottrell

Next story: Why are Iranians lip synching to political speeches?

Photo of Iranian actressImage source, Getty Images

As Iranians prepare to vote in key elections, supporters of reformist candidates have found a novel way to get their message across. READ MORE

You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, external, and find us on Facebook, external. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.

Top stories

  • Live. 

    Germany to stop arms sales to Israel that could be used in Gaza after takeover plan approved

    • 11884 viewing12k viewing
  • Boy, 15, found guilty of murdering fellow pupil

    • Published
      23 minutes ago
  • Courts service 'covered up' IT bug that caused evidence to go missing

    • Published
      7 hours ago

More to explore

  • Cacio e pepe: Good Food pasta recipe sparks fury in Italy

    pasta in a bowl with cheese and pepper
  • Big Mags: The paedophile-hunting granny who built a heroin empire

    Mags Haney outside her home in the Raploch talking to two police officers. The photo from the mid 1990s shows Haney with short bleached blond hair and big earrings. She is wearing a pink cardigan and and orange t-shirt. A number of locals are standing around watching the scene
  • Faisal Islam: Why has the Bank of England cut rates?

    Andrew Bailey, Bank of England governor, looks straight at the camera. he's wearing glasses and a dark suit.
  • India's immigration raids send ripples through slums and skyscrapers alike

    A woman stands in a slum in Delhi
  • Watch: See where China plans to put its controversial mega-embassy

    A composite image of Damian Grammaticas and the proposed China embassy
  • Weekly quiz: Which baby names took top spot?

    A stock photo shows a baby looking directly at the camera while pouting as they prop their head up on an outdoor chair with bokeh depth of field behind.
  • Who is most likely to challenge Liverpool this season?

    • Attribution
      Sport
    Liverpool celebrate with Premier League trophy
  • Why Trump-Putin talks unlikely to bring rapid end to Ukraine war

    A composite image of Donald Trump on the left and Vladimir Putin on the right. Both men are wearing suits.
  • Summer Essential: Your family’s guide to the summer, delivered to your inbox every Tuesday

    concentric circles ranging from orange to yellow to represent the sun, with a blue sky background
loading elsewhere stories

Most read

  1. 1

    Boy, 15, found guilty of murdering fellow pupil

  2. 2

    MP mistakes charity rowers for 'illegal migrants'

  3. 3

    Boy, 4, dies after being hit by bus as he walked out of hospital

  4. 4

    Is Perrier as pure as it claims? The bottled water scandal gripping France

  5. 5

    Gary Lineker to host new ITV game show The Box

  6. 6

    Big Mags: The paedophile-hunting granny who built a heroin empire

  7. 7

    Britons booking 'later, closer, shorter' UK breaks

  8. 8

    Cacio e pepe: Good Food pasta recipe sparks fury in Italy

  9. 9

    Teenager who lost his legs in crash will 'never forgive' driver

  10. 10

    Courts service 'covered up' IT bug that caused evidence to go missing

BBC News Services

  • On your mobile
  • On smart speakers
  • Get news alerts
  • Contact BBC News

Best of the BBC

  • Your latest reality TV obsession has landed on iPlayer

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Destination X
  • Jacob Elordi stars in explosive war drama

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    The Narrow Road to the Deep North
  • Inside the front-line fight against cybercriminals

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Panorama: Fighting Cyber Criminals
  • A rare glimpse into the world of rope access

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Our Lives: High Stakes
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • Terms of Use
  • About the BBC
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Accessibility Help
  • Parental Guidance
  • Contact the BBC
  • Make an editorial complaint
  • BBC emails for you

Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.