FS Nayeem recalls a night of Messi magic at the World Cup

Watching Lionel Messi from just a few rows away was the highlight of FS Nayeem’s recent World Cup adventure in the United States. Alongside his wife, actress Nadia Ahmed, the actor attended Argentina’s clash against Algeria and experienced the tournament atmosphere firsthand.

Photos of the celebrity couple at the match took social media by storm yesterday after Nadia, a passionate Argentina supporter, shared glimpses of their World Cup experience online.

Curious to know more, The Daily Star caught up with Nayeem, who offered an inside look at what it was like to witness the world’s biggest football tournament live—and, more importantly, to watch Messi work his magic from the stands.
Nayeem, who has been living in the United States for some time, revealed that Nadia had travelled there before Eid. What started as a casual family plan soon turned into a dream football adventure involving Nadia’s younger sister, Nandita, and her husband.

The most entertaining part? Everyone in the group supported different teams.

“We all support different teams,” Nayeem said with a laugh. “Nandita is a Germany supporter, I support Germany as well, Nadia supports Argentina, and Nandita’s husband is a Brazil fan. We applied for tickets to matches involving all of our favourite teams.”

With World Cup tickets being distributed through a lottery system, all four submitted applications using their IDs, hoping to secure seats for different matches. Fate, however, had a special surprise in store.

“Fortunately, we got tickets for the Argentina versus Algeria match on Wednesday, which meant we got to witness Lionel Messi’s magic live,” he recalled.

For the actor, simply attending a World Cup match was a bucket-list moment.
“Watching a World Cup match from the stadium is a huge thing for me. It was a truly special moment for all of us,” he said.

Before heading to the stadium, the group spent several hours at the FIFA Fan Festival, soaking in the carnival-like atmosphere surrounding the tournament.
“First, we went to the Fan Festival in the afternoon and stayed there until around 5pm,” Nayeem shared. “There were live concerts, football-themed souvenirs, giant screens, and countless activities for fans. Those who couldn’t get tickets could watch the match there. We also took lots of photos with different attractions and installations.”

Afterwards, FIFA’s shuttle service transported them to the stadium.

“We reached around 7:20pm and the match started at 8pm. The entire stadium was packed. We had fantastic seats. This wasn’t club football—it was the World Cup. I kept telling Nadia, ‘I can’t believe we’re actually watching a World Cup match right now.’ We were incredibly grateful to Nadia’s sister for arranging the tickets.”

Once inside, Nayeem found himself surrounded by Argentina supporters.

“Almost 90 percent of the people sitting around me were Argentina supporters, while maybe two percent were supporting Algeria,” he said. “Most of them were busy recording the match on their phones, but I was just quietly watching Messi.”

According to him, that turned out to be the best decision of the night.

“It felt like every time Messi touched the ball, something extraordinary was about to happen. Even if he had possession for only a few seconds, he would either create a goal-scoring opportunity or deliver a beautiful pass. The entire stadium would erupt whenever he got hold of the ball.”

The electric atmosphere left a lasting impression on the actor, who was particularly fascinated by the passion of Argentina’s supporters.

“Argentina fans are incredibly expressive. They were singing throughout the match. Some were even playing instruments. The whole experience felt magical,” he said.

Reflecting on the evening, Nayeem said the crowd’s reaction to Messi perfectly demonstrated the football icon’s universal appeal.

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“The way people cheered for him every time he touched the ball showed exactly why Messi is loved by football fans all over the world. I wish I could have shared that moment with all the Argentina supporters in Bangladesh. That would have been amazing. But thanks to Nadia, I got to experience a part of that passion firsthand. She’s a true Argentina fan,” he added.