Thrissur: A football fan from Kerala received the surprise of a lifetime after Argentine superstar Lionel Messi responded to a birthday tribute shared on Instagram.

Yadil M. Iqbal, a resident of Kodungallur in Thrissur district and a long-time admirer of the World Cup-winning captain, had posted a special video wishing Messi on his birthday. The video expressed his admiration for the football legend and highlighted several Messi-themed creations that have made him popular among fellow fans.

In the video, Yadil said he hoped that one day Messi would notice his efforts and recognise him. The tribute featured visuals of a massive mural of the Argentine icon painted in Kodungallur, a statue created after Argentina's FIFA World Cup win, and images of Messi displayed on Yadil's customised Land Rover Defender. What followed exceeded the fan's expectations.

Messi himself responded in the comments section with a brief but memorable message: "Gracias Yadil!" — Spanish for "Thank you, Yadil."

The comment quickly grabbed attention across social media platforms, with hundreds of thousands of users engaging with it. The unexpected interaction has since driven a surge in likes for Messi's comment, which had crossed 8 lakh at the time of publication, while the video posted by Yadil surpassed 10 million views.

For many fans, receiving any form of recognition from Messi is a dream. For Yadil, that dream became a reality with a simple two-word comment that has now become a viral moment.