Five-year-old Murataza Ahmadi became an internet star after his photos dressed in a makeshift Lionel Messi jersey made from a plastic bag was posted on Facebook by his elder brother Hamayon a couple of weeks ago.

Initially, an Iraqi television by aired the footage of a child claiming that the boy was from Kurdistan in Iraq.

But following the posting of the photos of the little fan of soccer legend Lionel Messi who plays for FC Barcelona, countless internet users and curious journalists tied to correctly identify the boy and locate his whereabouts.

Among such inquisitive journalists to spot the little Afghan soccer aficionado was Xinhua reporter, Rahmat Alizada, who was the first to brave the journey to visit the mountainous Jaghori district, meet Murtaza Ahmadi at his parents' resident and take pictures with the young sensation in person.

After locating the small boy in his home village, Alizada contacted soccer star Messi via a fan page on Twitter in a bid to let the Argentine superstar know about Murtaza and his unbelievable admiration for both him and Barcelona.

The Xinhua reporter had also provided the contact number of Murtaza's father Arif Ahmadi to Messi via Twitter so that the five-time FIFA Ballon d'Or winning star could personally contact him.

"Mini-Messi" or Messi-e-Kochak, as he is known locally among villagers and playmates in the Jaghori district of the eastern Ghazni province in conflict-ridden Afghanistan, has reportedly received an invitation from Messi after Alizada's work paid off.

Messi, as well as giving the young lad a real jersey to replace his blue and white plastic bag, has promised to take Murtaza to the Camp Nou stadium, home of FC Barcelona in Spain, reports have said.

The soccer star also thanked Xinhua's Alizada for his efforts to locate one of his youngest fans, Murtaza, in the restive Ghazni province.

The Spanish embassy in Afghanistan has reportedly been in contact with Murtaza's family.

"Rahmat Alizada is the first journalist who braved security problems to travel to the Jaghori district and met Murtaza in his home village. No doubt, his service deserves all kinds of appreciation," local employee of a UN office in Kabul, Hamayon Ahmadi, remarked on Facebook.

"Dear Alizada, your courage as journalist is appreciable, you have established the contact between the Afghan child Murtaza and football star Messi. Thank you Alizada for doing such a tough job," another Afghani user, Sayed Ismael Jahangir, said.

To appreciate Alizada's tireless efforts, local officials and civil society entities are going to hold an exhibition of photos taken by Alizada, in Ghazni's provincial capital Ghazni city next week, local official Kamran Farotan said. Endit

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