It’s not easy for a man to admit to crying, let alone shedding tears in public. But Yadil M Iqbal is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve.
Play and predict your Fifa World Cup 2026 champion hereThis die-hard Argentina and Lionel Messi fan from Kerala, India, beams with pride while talking about his midnight tears after receiving a ‘thank you’ message from Lionel Messi on his Instagram post for the Argentine icon’s 39th birthday.
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Nor does he feel any sense of embarrassment about crying in public after getting his Argentina shirt signed by the other Lionel of Argentina’s national team — head coach Lionel Scaloni — during an event in Dubai last year.
Yadil, who hails from Kodungallur in the Thrissur district of Kerala, has hit headlines in India after Messi thanked him on the special birthday post in Spanish with murals of the football magician in the background.
“I know Messi understands English, but he is most comfortable in Spanish. That's why I used Google Translate to post my birthday video message in Spanish,” the 30-year-old told the Khaleej Times over the phone from Kerala.
“I said, 'Feliz cumpleaños, Leo' — which means 'Happy Birthday, Leo.' I told him, 'I love you so much from Kerala, India.' I also told him that I had made a statue and murals of him. The first mural was done after Argentina won the 2021 Copa America final against Brazil at the Maracana in Rio. Then, after the 2022 World Cup triumph in Qatar, I created another mural and a statue.
“I told him that one day I hope he visits Kerala to see the statue and the murals I have made in my hometown. I wished him all the best and all the love in the world. That was my message.”
Yadil could not keep his emotions in check after he saw Messi’s response, ‘Gracias, Yadil (Thank you, Yadil), which has now got more than a million likes on Instagram.
“When I saw his message saying, 'Thank you, Yadil,' my wife and I both started crying in the night,” he said.
“I am a very emotional Argentina fan. Last year, I flew to Dubai just to attend an event where Lionel Scaloni was the chief guest. I cried that day as well when I met him and got my Argentina shirt signed.
“Scaloni is the coach who built this World Cup-winning Argentina team, that’s why I am so grateful to him. Scaloni deserves enormous credit because he created a system that brought the best out of Messi. He made sure Messi could produce those extraordinary performances in Qatar.
“You know Messi is a player who comes once in a hundred years, and Scaloni ensured that Argentina finally got the very best out of him on the biggest stage. That's why I was crying yesterday after Messi's message, just as I cried when I met Scaloni.
“Messi and Argentina control my heartbeat. I live for these World Cup moments.”
Remarkably, Yadil, who owns three restaurants in Kerala, was at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar when Argentina ended 36 years of heartbreak by winning their third World Cup title — Messi’s first — with a dramatic win in the final over France.
“When Argentina finally won that heart-stopping final in Qatar, I saw Messi fall to his knees and cry. I was crying too in the stands,” he said.
“Scaloni was crying in the dugout. After so many years of heartbreak, Argentina finally became world champions, and I was there to witness it with my own eyes. Watching Messi cry tears of joy is something I will cherish forever.”
Having witnessed Messi and Argentina fulfil the dream of winning the World Cup in 2022, Yadil is now cherishing every moment of the 2026 tournament, where the 39-year-old Messi is playing football with the same exuberance that he showed when his parents first gifted him a ball on his fourth birthday.
“Watching him still enjoy football at this age is one of the greatest joys of my life. I hope he keeps playing for as long as possible,” said Yadil before revealing why he is not travelling to North America to watch the World Cup.
“After the 2022 World Cup, I decided not to travel to the United States because I want that memory of Argentina becoming world champions to stay with me forever,” he said.
“I know how difficult it is to win the World Cup twice in a row, and I don't want my last World Cup memory to be seeing Argentina lose.
“I watched them become champions. I cried when they cried. I saw them lift the trophy with my own eyes. That remains the greatest moment of my life.”
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