Iran’s Lionel Messi lookalike Reza Parastesh caused quite a stir in the Iranian city of Hamadan over the weekend and almost got arrested for disrupting public order.
News reports said that after a number of people swarmed Parastesh in a bid to get a selfie with him, police officers were forced to rush the 25-year-old into a police station and impound his car to stop the chaos and clear traffic.
The fuss around the Messi lookalike started a few months back when his father made him pose in a number 10 Barcelona shirt and sent the pictures to a sports website.
Ever since, Parastesh has become sort of a celebrity in Iran, with thousands of people vying for a selfie or photo with him. He is also fully booked with news media interviews and has even landed modeling contracts.
"Despite his early reluctance, Parastesh, 25, soon grew into his new role, cutting his hair like Messi and often donning the Barca jersey when he goes out," The New York Times reported.
“Now, people really see me as the Iranian Messi and want me to mimic everything he does. When I show up somewhere, people are really shocked,” he said.
"I’m really happy that seeing me makes them happy and this happiness gives me a lot of energy," he added.