From distant Argentina, Messi's farewell touches the hearts of Indian fans

For devoted Lionel Messi fan Yadil Iqbal, chasing the dream cost 40 hours of travel and thousands of dollars. The goal was Messi's farewell match in an Argentina shirt – a friendly against Benin, billed as the "last dance" after 21 years.

But just as Iqbal packed his bags – carefully folding the blue-and-white Argentina jersey and a special watch he planned to give Messi – the story hit a small snag.

When he left his hometown of Kodungallur in the southern Indian state of Kerala to attend Messi's farewell friendly against Benin, the popular online content creator still had no ticket to the Monumental in Buenos Aires. The match takes place on Tuesday.

Throughout the 15,000km (about 9,300-mile) journey, with its many stops and long airport waits, Iqbal documented the trip for his 1.7 million Instagram followers. Yet not once did he feel anxious about the risk he was taking.

"I prayed to God that Messi would win the World Cup. Four years ago, He made it happen, and I witnessed it with my own eyes," Iqbal told Al Jazeera, referring to Messi's first World Cup title at Qatar 2022.

"Now, nothing feels like too big a challenge anymore."

Proving that fortune favors the bold, Iqbal found the precious ticket just hours after landing in Argentina. Securing it at the last minute on the resale market meant paying $1,000, a price he described as "three times the original."

But for Iqbal, who named his young son "Lian Messil" – a play on Lionel Messi – it was a price worth paying.

Like Iqbal, most people in Kerala, as well as Kolkata in West Bengal state, are passionate about the player who has won the Ballon d'Or eight times and is the most-capped player in Argentina's history.

He may have been born in Rosario, but for thousands of fans in those states and millions across India, he belongs to them.

Whenever the World Cup comes around, some neighborhoods in Kerala turn into a sea of blue and white – whether through Argentina flags hung outside homes or, in some cases, the humble houses themselves painted in the colors of the Albiceleste.

Iqbal has his own way of showing his special love. A giant mural – 32 feet high and 20 feet wide (9.75m x 6m) – depicting Messi's major honors is how he expresses his affection for the Inter Miami forward.

"I built it near my home after Argentina won the 2021 Copa America, but Messi only saw it on Instagram in June this year when I wished him a happy birthday," Iqbal recalled. "I learned Spanish from Google Translate, posted the video online and, luckily, he thanked me in the comments, calling me by name. That was the best day of my life."

'He is our idol'

In the western Indian city of Mumbai, for Sagar Shinde, who grew up watching Messi play, the thought of seeing the greatest player of all time wear Argentina's shirt one last time brings him to tears.

"Do you want me to cry again?" he said when asked about his feelings a day before the match. "I will keep watching football, but the man who made me love this sport will no longer be there for the team I support."

Shinde's love for Messi knows no bounds. He refused to choose between his engagement day and the moment Messi won the World Cup when asked to pick his best memory.

A tattoo on his arm says it all: the day Messi lifted the World Cup in Qatar, finally stepping out of the shadow of the late Diego Maradona.

"I bet my friend that if Messi won, we would get a tattoo of him. When it happened, I told my friend: 'God has given us what we wanted, so we must keep our promise,'" recalled Shinde, a creative producer and sports content creator.

Like many others, he began following La Liga club Barcelona and the Argentina national team for one person: Messi. He is also a co-founder of the FCB Mumbai fan club, which organizes watch parties for Barcelona and Argentina matches.

Following South American football is no easy feat for those living in South Asia; watching live often means staying up past midnight or waking before dawn. But the eight-and-a-half-hour time difference is no big deal for Messi and Argentina fans, with hundreds turning up for 4:30am watch parties in Mumbai and elsewhere on Wednesday.

"Messi is unique," Shinde said, describing the former Barcelona player's talent. "If you watch football, you have to admire Messi. The elegance, the dribbling and the way he dictates play… all of it. Even when Argentina play badly, Messi is still good. He is the kind of player who can touch the ball and create magic in a second. He is an idol because he inspires so much; he never gave up."

Why Messi matters so much to football

Messi's influence is so great that his farewell match drew about 85,000 fans in the Argentine capital – more than the 70,000 reported to have filled Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for the NFL's Super Bowl 2026.

South American football expert Martin Mazur, who lives in Buenos Aires, believes Messi has become a "cultural icon" over the years.

"He was already an icon for the younger generation [in Argentina] before winning his first title, but the new generation clashed with the older one for years, until a few years before the 2021 Copa America," he said. "Eventually, Messi won over even the older generations, who had seen five major finals lost."

Argentine journalist Mazur, who has written for FourFourTwo, La Gazzetta dello Sport and other major publications, said Messi leaves the national team as a hero in the same mold as Maradona, who led Argentina to 1986 World Cup glory.

"What Maradona represented for the older generation, Messi now represents for the new one," he explained. "For some born after he won, they will understand what Messi meant when he no longer plays, through videos, just like Maradona – there is the melancholy of those who saw him play, but also the nostalgia of those who never did."

Argentine journalist Marcela Mora y Araujo, who lives in London, believes that while Messi has not changed the way football is played today, he is "one of the most influential players of his generation."

"His personal qualities are unique," said Mora y Araujo, a contributor to the Times of India. "I don't think there are many players like Messi, because no one can play like Messi. But he has certainly marked an era, both at club and national team level. With Argentina, it took him a while to receive the recognition, acceptance and celebration he deserved, but at club level, his influence was much greater."

Mora y Araujo, who splits her time between Britain and Argentina, said Argentine fans and the national team alike cherish the "Asian love" they receive from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.

"It is a source of great joy and pride for Argentines," she added. "There are viral videos of Indian fans singing Argentina's songs… it's wonderful. I'm not the only one saying we absolutely love it."