Burn pit victim gets World Cup wish come true from soccer superstar Lionel Messi

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - As Lionel Messi continues his goal-scoring, magic-making run through the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the soccer superstar has taken time to make another dream come true for a Kansas City kid.

Christian Holmes, a young boy who fell backward into a burn pit at a neighbor’s home in late June, was in recovery at Children’s Mercy Hospital when he shared a wish.

Christian, who was wearing his favorite Lionel Messi jersey when he fell and burned himself -- suffering injuries that doctors believed may need skin grafts to repair the damage -- wanted to meet Messi.

With Argentina continuing training during the World Cup, advancing to play in Saturday’s quarterfinal in Kansas City, Messi settled for a different gift to Christian.

Children’s Mercy said Wednesday Messi sent Christian a personally signed jersey, scripted with a message of support for the recovering boy.

“Para Christian con afecto,” the jersey was signed by Messi.

“Christian was elated with joy!” Children’s Mercy said in its post.

Matt Holmes, Christian’s father, said the owners of Los Hornos have been providing meals to Team Argentina and through a friend of a friend helped get Christian’s story to Messi.

“He was not able to make a visit himself,” Matt said, “but wanted to still send Christian his well wishes.”

Holmes’ mother, Andrea told KCTV in June that watching World Cup matches has helped Christian have something to look forward to during treatment and therapy.

“We’d pick a team and we’d cheer for it,” Andrea Holmes said. “Those games have been really important to kinda give Christian something to look forward through throughout the day to kinda get through the treatment or the therapy as we spend our days here.”

Now, he has a new keepsake as Messi and the defending World Cup champions continue their hopeful journey toward back-to-back titles.