Egyptian Messi lookalike thrills soccer-loving orphans

Meet Lionel Messi’s doppelganger

Location: Zagazig, Egypt

Egyptian painter Islam Battah poses as the Argentinian soccer star

and plays soccer with children at the local orphanage

SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) EGYPTIAN LIONEL MESSI LOOKALIKE, ISLAM BATTAH, SAYING:"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. / This happiness is in one's heart. When I came here (to the orphanage), I felt an incomparable happiness and the kids' happiness with the resemblance between me and Messi is indescribable. When you make someone happy, God rewards you. I wanted to share this happiness with them."

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ORPHAN CHILD, AMMAR ASHRY, SAYING:"I was so happy and felt that (Lionel) Messi is coming to play with us. I was playing soccer, found him coming to play soccer with us and we were so happy. Now, I really want to see Mohamed Salah and all these players."