Taliban threats force Afghan boy, fan of Messi, into exile (The Associated Press)

The family of a 5-year-old Afghan boy who received autographed shirts from his soccer hero Lionel Messi was forced to leave Afghanistan amid constant telephone threats and a menacing Taliban letter, the boy's father said Tuesday. Mohammad Arif Ahmadi - whose son grabbed headlines when he was photographed wearing a homemade Argentina shirt with No. 10 on the back - said they have moved to neighboring Pakistan and settled in the city of Quetta, hoping for a better life there. ''Life became a misery for us,'' said Ahmadi, speaking to The Associated Press over the telephone from Quetta.