Family of five-year-old Lionel Messi fan flee Afghanistan after threats

The family of a five-year-old Afghan boy who received autographed shirts from his football hero Lionel Messi have been forced to leave Afghanistan amid constant telephone threats, the boy’s father has said.

Mohammad Arif Ahmadi — whose son grabbed headlines when he was photographed wearing a home-made Argentina shirt with No 10 on the back — said they have moved to neighbouring Pakistan and settled in the city of Quetta, hoping for a better life there.

“Life became a misery for us,” said Mr Ahmadi, speaking to the Associated Press by phone from Quetta. He added that the family did not want to leave Afghanistan, but the threats were just getting more and more serious.