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Murtaza Ahmadi: Five-Year-Old 'Plastic Bag Boy' Set To Meet Hero Lionel Messi

Dream Ending For Afghan Boy Pictured Wearing Messi Plastic Bag 'Shirt'
Tahira Mirza
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Lionel Messi is set to meet five-year-old Murtaza Ahmadi, the Afghan boy who captured people's hearts after a picture of him wearing a plastic bag football shirt went viral.

Murtaza was photographed wearing the blue and white striped carrier bag with Messi’s name on it. His father Arif admitted he was unable to buy him a real jersey because they could not afford it.

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The touching image prompted a social media frenzy to identify the child and gift him an official Lionel Messi Argentina shirt.

Messi’s father Jorge told AFP that the Barcelona forward "wants to do something" for Murtaza.

The Afghanistan Football Federation has commented saying "Messi has been in communication with the federation to set up a meeting with the young boy.

"We are working to see whether Messi will come to Afghanistan or the five-year-old will travel to Spain or they will meet in a third country."

As of yet there has been no comment from Messi's team, Barcelona, but the Spanish embassy in Kabul have reportedly told AFP 'it would do whatever possible to facilitate a meeting in a European destination.'

Murtaza told Al Jazeera."I love Messi and football. I will meet him one day, I want to become like him."

Afghan boy with Messi shirt
(01 of22)
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Afghan boy and Lionel Messi fan Murtaza Ahmadi, 5, wears a plastic bag jersey as he plays football in Jaghori district of Ghazni province. A five-year-old Afghan boy has become an internet star after pictures went viral of him wearing an Argentina football shirt made out of a plastic bag, complete with his hero Lionel Messi's name. (credit:STR via Getty Images)
(02 of22)
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Afghan boy five-year-old Murtaza Ahmadi, a young Lionel Messi fan, plays football in Kabul. (credit:SHAH MARAI via Getty Images)
(03 of22)
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(credit:SHAH MARAI via Getty Images)
(04 of22)
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(credit:SHAH MARAI via Getty Images)
(05 of22)
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(credit:SHAH MARAI via Getty Images)
(06 of22)
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Muhammad Arif Ahmadi, 44, (R) watches his son five-year-old Murtaza Ahmadi, a young Lionel Messi fan, plays football. (credit:SHAH MARAI via Getty Images)
(07 of22)
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Muhammad Arif Ahmadi, 44, (2nd R) with his son, five-year-old Murtaza Ahmadi, a young Lionel Messi fan, meet the media in Kabul. (credit:SHAH MARAI via Getty Images)
(08 of22)
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(credit:SHAH MARAI via Getty Images)
(09 of22)
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(credit:SHAH MARAI via Getty Images)
(10 of22)
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Muhammad Arif Ahmadi, 44, (L) with his son, five-year-old Murtaza Ahmadi, a young Lionel Messi fan, walk around a hilltop in Kabul. (credit:SHAH MARAI via Getty Images)
(11 of22)
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Murtaza plays football. (credit:SHAH MARAI via Getty Images)
(12 of22)
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Afghan men pose for a photograph with five-year-old Murtaza Ahmadi, a young Lionel Messi fan wearing a plastic bag jersey, on a hilltop overlooking Kabul. (credit:SHAH MARAI via Getty Images)
(13 of22)
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Arif Ahmadi, with his son Murtaza Ahmad walk around a hilltop in Kabul. (credit:SHAH MARAI via Getty Images)
(14 of22)
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This photograph taken on January 24, 2016 and provided by the family of Afghan boy and Lionel Messi fan Murtaza Ahmadi, 5, with his plastic bag jersey in Jaghori district of Ghazni province. A five-year-old Afghan boy has become an internet star after pictures went viral of him wearing an Argentina football shirt made out of a plastic bag, complete with his hero Lionel Messi's name. (credit:STR via Getty Images)
(15 of22)
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In this photograph taken on January 29, 2016, Afghan boy and Lionel Messi fan Murtaza Ahmadi, 5, sits with his father Muhammad Arif Ahmadi, 44, as they eat breakfast at their house in Jaghori district of Ghazni province. (credit:STR via Getty Images)
(16 of22)
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Murtaza plays football in Jaghori district of Ghazni province. (credit:STR via Getty Images)
(17 of22)
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Murtaza holds a photo of his hero Messi. (credit:STR via Getty Images)
(18 of22)
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(credit:STR via Getty Images)
(19 of22)
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This photograph taken on January 24, 2016 and provided by the family of Afghan boy and Lionel Messi fan Murtaza Ahmadi, 5, shows him wearing a plastic bag jersey in Jaghori district of Ghazni province. (credit:STR via Getty Images)
(20 of22)
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This photograph taken on January 24, 2016 and provided by the family of Afghan boy and Lionel Messi fan Murtaza Ahmadi, 5, shows him wearing a plastic bag jersey as he plays football in Jaghori district of Ghazni province. (credit:STR via Getty Images)
(21 of22)
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This photograph taken on January 24, 2016 and provided by the family of Afghan boy and Lionel Messi fan Murtaza Ahmadi, 5, with his plastic bag jersey in Jaghori district of Ghazni province. (credit:STR via Getty Images)
(22 of22)
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An Afghan man poses for a photograph with five-year-old Murtaza Ahmadi, a young Lionel Messi fan wearing a plastic bag jersey, in Kabul on February 1, 2016. Barcelona star Lionel Messi is hoping to arrange a meeting with an Afghan boy who shot to fame after pictures of him dressed in a striped plastic bag jersey went viral, Kabul's football federation said on February 1. (credit:SHAH MARAI via Getty Images)
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