Messi magic: Hamas let off 90-yr-old after learning she's from the footballer's nation

Cunio's four children, along with two of their friends, are still held hostage in Gaza, UNH Plus reported.

Football is the most popular sport in the world for a reason. FIFA, the governing body of the game, has more members (211 national associations) than the United Nations (193 UN Member States).

This game connects people beyond borders, as was recently proved once again in a report by Latin American publication UHN Plus, which released a report on a 90-year-old Argentine woman named Ester Cunio who was in Israel when Hamas militants kidnapped many Israelis amid their October 7 attacks.

However, one of them ended up letting her go after taking a selfie with her. The reason? She comes from the same country as Lionel Messi—arguably the greatest player to lace up a pair of football boots.

Cunio's four children, along with two of their friends, are still held hostage in Gaza, the publication reported.

UHN Plus shared a clip of a documentary in which Cunio says that two Hamas members entered her house one morning and asked her where her family was. When she replied that she was all alone in the house, one of them said, “You're coming with me, there's only going to be fire here."

Cunio added that the Hamas activist was angry with her since she does not know either Hebrew or English.

She recalled, according to the publication, “ I told him that I speak in Argentine, in Spanish ,” to which he responded, “What is Argentina!?"

Cunio further enquired whether the infiltrator watches football, to which he replied in the affirmative.

She then told him she is from where Messi is from.

Following this, the terrorist handed her his AK-47, took pictures with her, and let her go!

“If he (Lionel) knows that I mentioned him and was saved, now I would ask him for my grandchildren who are locked up there . He would tell her to please pray to God because they are guys worth gold," she said, according to the publication.

Voices of October 7 is a new Spanish-language documentary that features numerous experiences, including Cunio's. The film explores accounts of survival that describe the carnage in the ongoing tensions between Israel and Gaza.

The documentary's director, according to UHN Plus, said that “Documenting the narratives of the October 7 Hamas attacks from the points of view of Spanish-speaking immigrants has been an extraordinary privilege. Our film aims to preserve the lessons of history, while harnessing the strength of our shared humanity in the battle against terrorism.”