How My Father Made Me Love Lionel Messi, I’m In Tears Now – Man Writes Ahead World Cup Final

By Tanjim Chowdhury

One of the most important days of my life.

So, I guess I will feel a bit relieved if I can express my feelings. Cause I don’t know whether I’ll be in a situation or not to share this after today.

Also I’m not expecting anyone to read this post fully. I just want to keep this in my timeline.

Back in 2010, I was not that much interested in football.

My father is a big fan of Argentina and Maradona since that time.

He told me to watch football games all the time. So, I started watching the football a bit unwillingly with him from that year.

It was a match between Argentina and Nigeria.

Argentina won that match by only goal scored by Gabriel Heinze.

But my father was pointing to one man frequently during the game and was telling- “Look, this guy is the successor of Maradona, his name is Messi, doesn’t he play amazingly?”

I didn’t understand football that much that time. So, I couldn’t realize if that guy was really playing well or not. But one thing I could realize a bit. That boy really tried a lot and had a never giving up mentality.

I followed the other games of Argentina as well. Argentina knocked out in the quarter that year. My father became sad.

In the following year, my father called me again to sit with him and watch a football match. It was a game of Barcelona.

My father told me that it’s the best football club in the world and Argentine Messi played there.

Few days later, while changing channels of TV, I noticed a match was going on between Barcelona and Racing Club.

That day my father was not there. I started watching that game alone.

I started realizing football by that time. I was just astonished to see that little man.

How amazingly that team, specially that guy played and scored two goals. That was the turning point of my life. I gradually became a Barca & Leo Messi fan from that day.

The rest of the story is a mixed feeling of happiness and sorrows.

But now after 12 years, I can say I’m really grateful to my father, because he compelled me to be a football fan, an Argentine fan and I call myself lucky to be a fan of this man.

I saw my man struggling years after years, being criticized by the people of his own nation. Still he never gave up. That wounded Lion fought back again and again and became the champ finally.

Today, my man is going to play his last world cup game with this sky blue shirt which is a final.

I don’t know what is going to be happened after 22 hours.

While I was writing this post, I don’t know why tears came to my eyes unwillingly.

Maybe I can never express into words how much love I have for this man.

I just want to thank this man for all the beautiful moments and memories he gave me throughout my life. I just want to see my hero happy.

Whatever happens today, you’ll be there forever in the deepest part of my heart Leo 💙

@views exclusive rights: Tanjim Chowdhury, Soccer fan, writes from Dhaka, Bangladesh, December 17, 2022.