Talk about #goals.
The little boy from rural Afghanistan who became an internet sensation after he was photographed in a Lionel Messi soccer jersey made from a plastic bag has finally met his hero.
On Tuesday, Qatar’s 2022 World Cup organizing committee tweeted photos and video of 6-year-old Murtaza Ahmadi meeting the Argentine superstar before a game in Doha.
After the initial meeting, Murtaza followed Messi onto the field, where the forward for FC Barcelona was getting set to play a friendly game against Al-Ahli Dubai.
The tiny fan had a really hard time leaving his hero’s side:
Murtaza became an online hit in early 2016 not long after his father declined to buy him his own blue-and-white striped jersey, just like the one that Messi wears on Argentina’s national team.
“I told him that we were living in a poor village far from the city and it was impossible for me to get him the shirt,” Arif Ahmadi said to CNN.
But his teenage brother Hamayon stepped up. He helped Murtaza create a homemade version using a blue-striped plastic bag. On it, they wrote “Messi” and his number, 10.
Hamayon posted pictures of Murtaza wearing the jersey on Facebook, and the pictures soon went viral.
In February, Murtaza received a signed jersey from Messi with a little help from UNICEF.
After receiving the jersey, Murtaza told the BBC, “I love Messi and my shirt says Messi loves me.”
To check out more adorable highlights from Murtaza’s big day, watch the video below: