After Argentina’s humiliating 3-0 defeat to Croatia, Dinu Alex of Kerala, an ardent Lionel Messi fan, has gone missing since Friday morning, according to reports.

The family of the 30-year-old has filed a missing complaint at the Ayarkunnam police station with investigation currently underway. Alex, in a note, has told his family that he was ‘wading into the depths of death’.

Sub-inspector Anil Kumar said, “He was a big fan of Lionel Messi and he was watching the football match last night with his friends. Afterwards, when his friends tried to call him, his phone was switched off. At 5:30 am, when his mother looked for him, he was missing and they found his note.”

However, this is not the first time Dinu has gone missing. “He had gone missing when he failed his degree exams, but then he returned,” the officer added. Search operations are currently underway around his home, particularly in the nearby Meenachil river.

Kerala is home to some of the largest contingents of Brazil and Argentina fans in the country.