Soon after Murtaza Ahmadi's picture wearing a makeshift shirt at the beginning of the year went viral, he travelled to Qatar to meet the Barcelona captain ahead of the club's match again Al-Ahli Saudi FC.
Murtaza accompanied Messi on to the pitch and posed in the team photo. The young yet persistent fan from the Ghazni province in rural Eastern Afghanistan had asked his family for a shirt like his idols. However, outside their means, his father Arif Ahmadi dressed him in a blue and white plastic bag that reflected the Argentina colours.
When the news reached the player, he sent him two signed shirts and also requested to meet his young fan. Though, it took the pair some time to meet, when it happened Murtaza was star-struck and did not want to walk away.
Messi was seen directing him off the pitch ahead of kick-off but the referee had to carry him off instead.