'I'm From Where He is': Argentine Lady Saved From Hamas Intruders Thanks to Mention of Lionel Messi

A discussion on Lionel Messi is understood to have saved a 90-year-old lady from being kidnapped by Hamas. Messi is a talismanic footballer on the pitch and off it, he also has an immeasurable impact on the world. The same could be noticed in a recent incident in Israel where an old Argentine lady, named Ester Cunio, used La Pulga’s name to protect herself from Hamas intruders.

A Spanish media outlet called UHN Plus revealed the story on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, sharing a post that read, “A 90-year-old Argentine woman avoided being kidnapped by Hamas members in Israel thanks to mentioning Messi, which led one of the attackers to take a photo with her and then leave.”

On October 7 last year in Kibbutz Nir Oz, Israel, 90-year-old Ester Cunio found herself facing armed intruders. Along with her eight family members, Ester also faced the scary prospect of being abducted and taken to Gaza. However, uttering  Messi’s name in the ordeal changed the scenario entirely. Confronted by the gunmen, Ester revealed her Argentine heritage to the intruders and her love for football, particularly Messi.

The mention of Messi resulted in a change in the gunman as he relinquished his hostility towards Cunio. While giving his gun to the woman as a peace symbol, the intruder posed for a photo with Ester.

This is what Cunio said about the incident as per MARCA, “I speak Argentinean Spanish, so he asks what Argentina is. Then I tell him, ‘Do you watch football?’ He said he liked it and I told him I am from Messi’s country. He was surprised and told me he loves Messi. He put his arm on my shoulder, gave me his gun, he made me do the peace sign and they snapped the picture.”

While Cunio is thankful to Messi for saving her life indirectly, she now hopes that the Argentine footballer will help her grandchildren as well. “Now I hope that if Messi watches this and sees I was saved because of him, I would ask him to help my grandchildren who are still abducted. They are good kids. Their names are David and Ariel”, she said.

Speaking of Messi, the Argentine World Cup winner recently made his CONCACAF Champions Cup debut with a goal. He was assisted by Luis Suarez who rescued a point for Inter Miami in the dying stages, off a brilliant finish.