Afghan Messi boy forced to flee hometown

Murtaza Ahmadi, from eastern Afghanistan, Internet famous as “Plastic bag Messi boy" for his homemade football shirt, has moved to Pakistan with his family due to kidnap threats.

The five-year-old was called “Messi's biggest fan" after photographs of him were wearing a crude Lionel Messi Argentina football jersey fashioned from a plastic bag were posted on social media. After a great deal of international attention, Messi himself sent the boy a real jersey, personally autographed.

Murtaza's father, Mohammed Arif Ahmadi, soon feared his son might eventually be kidnapped. The family has been bombarded with threatening phone calls since his son garnered worldwide notoriety through the Internet.

The father said they left their home province of Ghazni in Afghanistan and settled in Pakistan's Quetta because the situation became very risky for them.

"A few days ago I got a call from a local gangster. He thought that since my son had received these T-shirts from Messi that maybe he also got money and asked for his share," Arif Ahmadi told the BBC.

The little fan of Argentine footballer expressed his hope to meet his hero.

"Messi, you know how much I like you. Now I want you to invite me so I can come and meet you," Murtaza said.

The Unicef ambassador, who stars for Barcelona, has said he would like them to meet too but no plans have been arranged so far.

Earlier this year the Afghan football association promised to bring them together, whether in Afghanistan, Spain or a third country. But Murtaza's father said none of the options had worked out so far.