13-year-old fan’s cry for Argentina and Messi to soon land him in Qatar
In the video, Nibras tells his friends, who trolled him, that Argentina is going to come back as there are more matches to be played.
Published: 01st December 2022 03:32 AM | Last Updated: 01st December 2022 03:32 AM | A+A A-
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the World Cup group C soccer match between Argentina and Mexico. (Photo | AP)
KASARGOD: When Argentina lost their first match at the ongoing FIFA World Cup to Saudi Arabia, the video of a boy bursting into tears caught the attention of social media. Now those tears are to be transformed into joy, as the eighth grader from Thrikaripur in Kasaragod is all set to fly to Qatar to witness the tournament live.
The video of an inconsolable Nibras had caught the attention of a Payyannur-based travel agency, Smart Travel, which decided to help the 13-year-old realise his dream of watching his favourite team and their inspirational captain Lionel Messi play.
In the video, Nibras tells his friends, who trolled him, that Argentina is going to come back as there are more matches to be played. He also predicts that Messi will go on to score a hat-trick. Neither Nibras nor his friends expected the video to have such an impact.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Nibras said, “I was not even aware that I was being shot. When I came to know of the video, my first emotion was anger. But now I am glad that the video did come out." "The travel agency first called my parents and then asked me to visit their office to accept a memento in appreciation of my love for the Argentine team. It came as a surprise when they handed me the tickets," he added.
Nibras, who himself is a key football player for his school and local club teams, learned to play the sport at a very young age. Since he started watching matches on TV, Messi and Argentina have been very close to his heart, his parents reminisced.
Smart Travel has also decided to make arrangements for Nibras to meet Messi and the other Argentine players in person. After the Albiceleste defeated Mexico 2-0 in their second match, a proud Nibras couldn’t stop talking about the victory to his friends.
