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Bangladesh T20 captain Shakib Al Hasan after the World Cup in Australia is set to head to Qatar and watch his favourite player Lionel Messi and Argentina in action during the upcoming FIFA World Cup. The all-rounder has purchased two tickets for Argentina's group-stage game against Mexico, scheduled for 27 November.
This update was confirmed by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) general secretary Abu Naeem Soha. The BFF is allocated 290 World Cup tickets by the global football governing organisation, FIFA and Al Hasan had requested to buy four tickets but will be given two tickets for the fixture.
"As a member, BFF receives 290 tickets from FIFA. These are distributed among current national players, former players, clubs, sponsors, other sporting bodies,'' Sohag told The Daily Star today. "Shakib asked us for four tickets, but we gave him two tickets. Both tickets are for the Argentina-Mexico match," Sohag said.
Lionel Messi has been an idol for Shakib Al Hasan throughout his career and the former IPL winner has spoken about the Argentine maestro multiple times. When asked to pick between Messi and his rival Cristiano Ronaldo, Shakib had an interesting take on the GOAT debate.
The Bangladesh captain, while speaking in an interview with Cricinfo, talked about how he admires various aspected of both these star players but Messi has been his inspiration, he doesn’t follow the former Barcelona man off the field as he isn’t very outspoken.
"He (Messi) is (my inspiration). I don't follow him off the field though, because he hardly talks to the media. In the recent past, he only started saying a few things, but you know, even two-three years back, I never saw him spoke anything to the media.”
Shakib further addressed that he emulates Ronaldo’s personality which is fiery and vocal but enjoys watching Messi play. He said, "So I follow both of them, I like Messi, the way he plays and presents himself on the field, but I think my character goes with Ronaldo more, more vocal, you know, outspoken, reaction on the field, those are Ronaldo kind of things that I normally do. I'm kind of a Ronaldo person but I like Messi."
