Anand Mahindra shares curious video of a little-Messi-fan

Offbeat: As the final of the FIFA World Cup 2022, Qatar, is going to take the stage on Sunday night, industrialist Anand Mahindra joins the football fever across the globe, sharing an old video on Twitter on Saturday.

The short video, he said, four years ago, shows a young boy having a haircut. He was getting Lionel Messi's face etched on the hair on the back of his head.

"I believe this is from 4 years ago, at the time of the last WC. But very appropriate as we all await an iconic final tomorrow! With #Messi in the Middle of it all," Mahindra's tweet on Saturday night read.

The post gathered more than 197,000 views and around 9,000 likes. Mahindra had expressed his excitement about Argentina taking on France in the final match on Sunday, to take the stage at Lusail Stadium in Doga.

Meanwhile, a Lionel Messi supporter from Lakshadweep has placed a cut of the football player in the Arabian Sea. Kavaratti Islands native Mohammed Swadikh, who placed the cutout, also posted a video to Instagram.

In the video, Mr Swadikh can be seen standing next to Lionel Messi's cut while surrounded by friends who are all wearing Argentina jerseys. A short while later, we see a person swimming over coral reefs to the location of the cutout while wearing scuba diving gear. Fans have also posed with the cutout underwater.

The cutout of Lionel Messi was reportedly installed 100 feet under the water, according to Khaleej Times.

Speaking to the New Indian Express, Mr Swadikh said, "After Argentina trounced Croatia in the semi-final, I organised a biriyani feast for my friends at mid-sea. It was at that time I announced the decision to install a cutout in the sea."

Argentine skipper Messi is hoping to take his country to win the title, which will be a first for them after the Diego Maradona-inspired victory in Mexico City in 1986. But for Kylian Mbappe and France, it would be targeting successive wins for the first time after Pele's Brazil in 1958 and 1962.

The final match will be broadcast in India from 8:30 pm IST on Viacom 18 Network and live-streamed on Jio cinema.