Afghan 'Little Messi' forced to flee conflict

KABUL - Murtaza Ahmadi moved the world with his love for soccer superstar Lionel Messi in 2016. His dream of meeting the Argentine came true, but now the 7-year-old boy is living a nightmare as one of thousands of Afghans displaced by war.

Murtaza and his family abandoned their home in southeastern Ghazni province in November, along with hundreds of others fleeing intense fighting after the Taliban launched an offensive in the previously safe area.

Now they are among the thousands of similarly uprooted people struggling to get by in Kabul, and also living with the fear that the Taliban are hunting for their famous son.