Passionate football fan Usama Abdullah has been collecting newspaper clippings of Argentinian star Lionel Messi for more than 20 years ago ... and his collection may finally be coming to an end.
The Pakistani expatriate’s prized possession comprises more than 1,000 images of the celebrated player and his greatest milestones, from his first Fifa World Cup appearance in 2006 to his Ballon d’Or victories, international triumphs, club trophies, individual awards and other unforgettable moments.
Dubbed by fans as La Pulga (Spanish for ‘the flea’) as a compliment to his agility, the millennial sportsman will lead Argentina in the much-awaited Fifa World Cup final 2026 against Spain tonight.
Further intensifying the excitement of the title decider are the recent matches that were rife with controversy, with many speculating an alleged bias towards the Argentinian team and particular the country’s talisman.
E-commerce manager Mr Abdullah, 31, lives in Riffa and his love for football began at the tender age of 10. “I was inspired by my older brother Talha and cousins Saad and Rayed, who were already passionate football fans,” the 31-year-old told the GDN.
“Watching them follow the game made me want to do the same, and before long, football became a huge part of my life.
“In 2006, Barcelona won the UEFA Champions League, and like many young football fans around the world, I was captivated by Ronaldinho’s brilliance. As I followed Barcelona more closely, I discovered a young 18-year-old named Lionel Messi. Even at that age, I felt there was something special about him. I never imagined that I would spend the next two decades following his career,” he added, noting the beginning of a two-decade pictorial adventure.
“The 2006 Fifa World Cup was where it all truly began. Back then, life was very different. We did not have the Internet at home, so staying updated meant walking to the nearest cold store to read the newspapers displayed outside. We would spend as much time as we could reading match reports, studying photographs and following the stories of our favourite teams and players. Sometimes the shopkeeper would ask us to leave because we were not buying the newspapers! That did not stop us.
“Instead, we began collecting old newspapers and football magazines from relatives and local shops that no longer needed them, or by saving our pocket money to buy the editions that featured the best stories and photographs.
“Every cutting felt like a treasure. We carefully cut them out and preserved them, creating our own scrapbook of football history,” revealed the Bahrain University alumna who specialised in business administration.
During middle school his collection expanded with the help of his best friend, Mohsin. “During our free time, we would sit together cutting and pasting newspaper articles into our notebooks, preserving every memorable moment we could. Eventually, life took us in different directions but I never stopped. I have collected newspapers from countries whose languages I cannot read, simply because they captured an important chapter in his incredible journey,” added the hobbyist.
He noted that watching Messi lift the World Cup trophy in 2022 after ‘years of heartbreak’ was an emotional moment for him, as will be the game tonight, which could well be Messi’s last international outing for Argentina.
“Tonight’s final carries a different emotion for me,” he added. “It is not just another football match. It may represent the closing chapter of a collection that began with a curious 10-year-old reading newspapers outside a neighbourhood cold store.
“Whether Argentina wins or loses, I know I have been incredibly fortunate to witness one of football’s greatest careers unfold over the past two decades. Through every newspaper clipping, every headline, and every photograph, I have preserved moments that mean far more than ink on paper. These newspapers are not simply a collection. They are memories of my childhood, reminders of friendships and family, a record of football history, and a testament to the joy that one player brought to millions around the world,” Mr Abdullah explained, adding that he hopes to pass on his collection to future generations some day.
“It will be a reminder of life before smartphones, social media and instant updates ... how football memories were preserved ... one newspaper cutting at a time.”
melissa@gdnmedia.bh
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