ZAGAZIG, Egypt—They may not be meeting the real Lionel Messi, but Islam Battah’s resemblance to the Barcelona footballer is so uncanny, that the children at an orphanage in the Egyptian city of Zagazig swarm around him in delight anyway.
Seeing the excitement his presence causes at such events, the 27-year-old Egyptian painter is happy to pose as the Argentine, wearing a Barcelona shirt and joining in a game of football.
“When I started growing my beard, my friends told me that I look like Messi. When I grew my beard even more, the resemblance was clearer,” he said.
“The kids’ happiness with the resemblance between me and Messi is indescribable. When you make someone h…
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