Dad-daughter duo of Chunky and Ananya Panday Messimerised

Bollywood actor Chunky Panday with daughter Ananya during the Argentina v Croatia semi-final at the Lusail Stadium in Doha on Tuesday

Bollywood actor Chunky Panday, his daughter Ananya and a few friends were among the 88,966-strong audience at the Lusail Stadium on Tuesday night, witnessing the Argentina v Croatia semi-finals. And needless to say, they all came away thrilled thanks to some Messimerising action.

"This was my first ever international football match in a stadium and it was an exhilarating experience. Actually, Ananya has been invited here and I'm her plus one. But I now know why the FIFA World Cup is called the greatest show on earth," Chunky told mid-day on Wednesday.

Also Read: FIFA World Cup 2022: Lionel Messi ‘assists' Argentina into final

The father-daughter duo are ardent Messi fans and their hero did not disappoint on the night, scoring one and setting up another in an emphatic 3-0 victory. "Messi is a magician. He is so fast and so skillful. And the way the stadium erupted every time he touched the ball was amazing. I think it should have been a 1-0 match but the 80,000-odd Argentina fans helped them score two more," added Chunky.

Ananya meanwhile, had another reason to be happy. Former England captain David Beckham, who was seated at a little distance from their block, waved at them. "It was great to watch Messi in action. He is a legend. And then David [Beckham] waved to us and that was so cool too," said Ananya.

The father-daughter will be staying back to watch the final too. "I'm hoping Messi can lift the World Cup on Sunday. That'll be a dream come true not only for him as a player, but also for us, his fans," Chunky signed off.