Lionel Messi Asks Authorities Not to Stop Looking for Emiliano Sala

Lionel Messi has made a plea to authorities who are searching for fellow Argentinian Emiliano Sala to not stop looking for the Cardiff City striker.

In a post on Instagram on Friday (h/t James Masters of CNN), the Barcelona superstar made an emotional appeal to those tasked with finding the 28-year-old: "As long as there's a chance, a thread of hope, we ask that you please #DontStopLooking for Emiliano. All of my strength and support to his family and friends. #PrayForSala."

Sala has been missing since Monday. He and pilot Dave Ibbotson were on a light aircraft that disappeared from radar over the Channel Islands.

The forward was on his way to join his new Cardiff team-mates having just signed for the club from Ligue 1 Nantes, where he had played since 2015.

The search for the two men was called off on Thursday after three days. A Guernsey Police statement explained, "The chances of survival at this stage are extremely remote."

Per BBC News, a rescuer had said previously there was "no hope" of finding either man alive.

Sala's sister, Romina, asked that the search be resumed, per Masters:

"Please, please, please don't stop the search. We understand the effort but please don't stop the search. For us, they are still alive. It is difficult to express our feelings at the moment because everything is really hard. 

"Emiliano is a fighter. I'm asking you please, don't stop looking for them. It's been three days and I've still got hope that they're alive. It's terrible, it's desperate not knowing anything. We don't have certainty of anything."

Manchester City and Argentinian duo Sergio Aguero and Nicolas Otamendi have both also taken to social media to ask that the search continue:

Meanwhile, a post on Nantes' official Twitter feed read on Thursday: "This search mustn't stop."