Pyongyang pining for Messi visit

A top soccer official in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea wants megastar Lionel Messi to visit a new academy in the nation's capital, where the Barcelona striker is a huge hit with children.

Han Un-gyong, a member of the Asian Football Confederation's executive committee, said children at the Pyongyang International Football School are avid fans of the Argentine.

"I want to invite him because our children love him," Han said during an AFC gathering in Manila.