The self-described “first fan” of Argentina, Marcelo Martinez, traveled to Qatar six months ahead of schedule in order to see Lionel Messi and his teammates in the World Cup.
The first traveling Argentine fan, and probably the first foreign visitor overall, arrived in Doha on May 3 and has been having a blast ever since.
The 54-year-old lawyer remarked, “Wonderful things have been happening,” noting how many Qataris and foreigners were wearing Argentina shirts. “Messi and Argentina are loved by all here,”
Martinez thinks that after garnering so many other honors in the game, Messi will eventually raise the trophy at his fifth and last World Cup final.
When Argentina’s Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes traveled to Doha with Paris St. Germain earlier this year, Martinez, who had lots of free time, was able to serenade them.
“I was waiting for them at the hotel door with my wig and Argentinian flag. Someone approached me and inquired as to what I was doing before taking my number and offering me his house for two months, which turned into three, the man claimed.
While he was traveling to Argentina, all I had to do was watch over his pets.
Martinez has been called by a few neighborhood clubs to attend their events. After one game, fellow Argentinian and Al-Sailiya player Sergio Javier Vittor of Qatar gave him his shirt.
EVERYWHERE MESSI
For the tournament beginning next month, thousands of Argentinians are anticipated to go to Qatar, but not everyone is having an easy time.
Federico Guevara and Justina Aguirre Saraviaandi, two 32-year-old engineers, took a flight to Barcelona at the end of April, purchased a motorhome, and left on their once-in-a-lifetime trip to Qatar.
They are now asking for assistance from Argentina’s embassy and football association after learning they cannot travel to Qatar and spend the night in their car as originally intended.
Guevara remarked during a stop in Bulgaria, “We began off with the same premise, that Qatar was opening its doors to the world, we checked it all out. But they altered the regulations. We are prepared; we have tickets. Then, two months prior, they perform this.
All drivers who intend to enter Qatar with their vehicles after November 1 must apply for a special permission, which costs $1,370.
Guevara and Saraviaandi were still having fun on the journey despite the problem.
Every little town in Croatia has a child wearing a Messi shirt, according to Guevara. We got lost in Montenegro and wound ourselves on a small street where Diego (Maradona) had a mural that read, “Farewell, Golden Kid!”
“In the middle of Montenegro.”
