So many people in the world -- football crazy fans especially -- want to be like Lionel Messi, but only a rare few possess the skills and the speed the FC Barcelona forward is gifted with. Also, the looks as well.
Iranian student -- Reza Parastesh -- for one, is blessed to be a Messi look-alike. But too much attention on him lately has caused major consequences for him!
Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi (right) and his Iranian doppelganger Reza Parastesh - who is regularly mobbed by fans in Tehran pic.twitter.com/mdOsuoLgEv
— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 8, 2017
It is absolutely crazy and unbelievable about the similarities in looks between the little magician and Parastesh. The 25-year-old Iranian is now bombarded with onlookers on the streets, psyched to click selfies with him. This sudden frenzy in the middle of the streets for photos, has given the police in the city of Hamedan a hard time to control traffic.
As a result, Parastesh, for no fault of his, had to be escorted to a police station once, with his car seized, to clear traffic. He was also set for a few hours in jail, but the matter was sorted out soon.
This man looks familiar, doesn't he?
— TheField (@thefield_in) May 8, 2017
It's Lionel Messi's doppleganger: Iranian student Reza Parastesh pic.twitter.com/3nV7aAoYeA
The Iranian now looks forward to meet Messi at least once in his life and also offers to become the Argentine star's apprentice!
"Being the best player in footballing history, he definitely has more work than he can handle. I could be his representative when he is too busy," Parastesh has been quoted as saying by AFP.
Zero to hero
It all started after Parastesh's dad forced him to send a photo of his to the news agency AFP and rest was history.
"I sent them [a phot of mine to the news agency] one night and by the morning they had called me and said I should come in quickly for an interview," the 25-year-old told the news agency.
"Now people really see me as the Iranian Messi and want me to mimic everything he does. When I show up somewhere, people are really shocked.
I'm really happy that seeing me makes them happy and this happiness gives me a lot of energy," he added.
From several media interviews to landing modelling contracts, Parastesh has his hands full at the moment and is more than enjoying his sudden rise to stardom!