Boy with plastic jersey gets the real thing from Messi

Lionel Messi's biggest Afghan fan won't have to resort to wearing a plastic bag for a jersey anymore.

Murtaza Ahmadi, 5, received a signed jersey from his soccer hero this week, through UNICEF.

The jersey is a signed version of the one Messi wears for Argentina in international soccer games. Messi is also a star on FC Barcelona in Spain.

Messi sent the jersey to Murtaza after a photo of the boy went viral earlier this year. The photo showed Murtaza wearing a plastic bag painted to look like Messi's Argentine uniform.

Murtaza's father said receiving the jersey was "one of the happiest moments" of his son's life.

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  Murtaza Ahmadi, 5, of Afghanistan, shows off his signed jersey from soccer star Lionel Messi. (Twitter / UNICEF Afghanistan)

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  Five-year-old Murtaza Ahmadi was photographed wearing a homemade replica jersey of his favourite player made out of a striped plastic grocery bag and marker, a photo that sparked a social media storm.

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  In this file photo, Martaza Ahmadi, a five-year-old Afghan Lionel Messi fan plays football, at the Afghan Football Federation Stadium in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016. (AP / Rahmat Gul)