An Argentine engineer has credited Lionel Messi with inadvertently saving his life after he was kidnapped in Nigeria last week.

Santiago Lopez Menendez was working on an agricultural project in the North-West of the country when he was taken captive by armed men.

Held hostage and denied food and water, the 28-year was also beaten by his captors.

Menendez says he came to realise that they thought he was American and that that was the reason why they were mistreating him.

Speaking no English, he says he shouted "Messi! Messi! Messi!" until they realised his actual nationality. That led to the cessation of beatings and also saw his kidnappers treat him better.

Menendez has since been freed after his employers paid a ransom and through his brother, who has spoken to the press, he had one simple message for the world: "Thank you Messi, mentioning your name saved my life."