The 2014 World Cup draw that grouped Iran with heavyweights Argentina has provoked thousands of Iranians to trash the Facebook page of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.
Iran was drawn in Group F alongside Argentina, reigning African champions Nigeria and newcomers Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The reaction in Iran was mixed, with some football-mad Iranians embracing the first-ever chance to play Argentina, and some even expressing ambitious hopes of beating the star-studded former World Cup champions.
But it was a different story online, particularly on Facebook, where several thousand derogatory remarks were left on Messi's page.
Many of the comments were in Persian, trashing the 26-year-old superstar, winner of four FIFA Ballons d'Or - the world player of the year.
