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Israeli grandmother has credited mentioning Lionel Messi for her survival while held by Hamas, sparking a plea for her grandsons' release.
Lionel Messi is no stranger to making headlines around the globe both for his unparalleled skills on the pitch and his acts of kindness off it.
Yet, in an extraordinary turn of events, Messi's name has taken on a whole new significance following the harrowing tale of an Argentine grandmother's captivity and subsequent survival.
The grandmother in question, Ester Cunio found an unexpected savior in her identity as a fellow countrywoman of Lionel Messi, a fact that would ultimately play a crucial role in her astonishing story of survival.
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Months after a peculiar image of an elderly woman brandishing a large firearm alongside a Hamas soldier went viral, the truth behind the photo has come to light, shattering initial misconceptions about the woman's origins. Ester Cunio, contrary to popular belief, hails from Argentina, not Israel.
In a revealing interview with Fuente Latina, Cunio shared the dramatic circumstances under which she invoked Messi's name, a move that likely spared her life amid her captivity by Hamas following an abduction on October 7.
"I told him not to talk to me because I didn't understand his language. The Arab language, and I speak poor Hebrew. I speak Argentinean Spanish, so he asks what Argentina," Cunio explained as per Daily Mail.
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When the conversation turned to football, a universal language of its own, Cunio seized the moment.
"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," she narrated.
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Cunio's story does not end with the release as her two grandsons, David and Ariel, remain in captivity.
Through her interview, she expressed a heartfelt plea to Messi, hoping the football legend's influence could extend to aiding in their rescue.
"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," she said.
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Lionel Messi, known for his humility and extensive charity work through his foundation, has yet to respond to Cunio's appeal.
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