Lionel Messi, recently adjudged the world's best football player, is keen on meeting a five-year-old Afghan fan of his, who wears a jersey made out of a plastic bag with the Argentina star's name on it. The Barcelona footballer’s father Jorge Messi told AFP that his son was aware of the photos of Murtaza Ahmadi, which have gone viral on social media, and “wants to do something” for his young fan.

However, the Afghanistan Football Federation said on Monday that no date or venue had been finalised yet. AFF spokesperson Sayed Ali Kazemi said Messi had been in touch with the federation, and they were trying to work out whether he will come to Afghanistan, or Ahmadi will travel to Spain, or whether they will meet in a third country. The Spanish Embassy in Kabul said it will take whatever means necessary to set up a meeting between Messi and his fan at a European destination.

Ahmadi’s elder brother Homayoun, 15, had made him the blue-and-white-striped plastic shirt, which has Messi's name written on it with a marker, as their family cannot afford an original jersey. Homayoun then shared his brother's photographs on Facebook. The family lives in the volatile Ghazni province near Kabul.