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An Iranian recently scripted a Persian Fairy Tale as quixotic as Rolling Pumpkin or The Wonderful Sea-Horse. Moslem Oladghobad’s, however, sits on the non-fiction shelf.

The assist prince become only the second Iranian to be signed by a Spanish club, was named MVP at the AFC Futsal Asian Cup in Kuwait, helped Palma upset behemoths Sporting in the UEFA Futsal Champions League final in Mallorca, was named AFC Futsal Player of the Year on a Doha stage he shared with Salem Al-Dawsari and Sam Kerr, inspired IR Iran to regain the Asian crown from Japan, and excelled as the Balearic Islanders stunned Barcelona 5-1 in Yerevan to retain their European title.

The insatiable Oladghobad wants more. The 28-year-old is desperate to spur Iran, third at Colombia 2016 and fourth on the FIFA Futsal Men’s World Ranking, to their first global title.

Oladghobad speaks to FIFA about his recent successes, the quality of Hossein Tayyebi and Dyego Zuffo, the rise of France, and the contenders to conquer the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024™.

How did it feel to win back-to-back UEFA Futsal Champions Leagues, against the odds, with Palma?
Moslem Oladghobad: It was a unique experience. Becoming a champion of Europe was one of my sporting dreams. I’m happy to have had the opportunity to play at this level. I thank Palma and their fans for the support.

Can you tell us about the dramatic games against Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan at the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2021?
The World Cup is the highest level of futsal in the world. Everyone goes on court having had the best preparation. We beat Uzbekistan 9-8. It was tense, full of goals and beautiful. I also scored. We were surprised by Kazakhstan. I never thought that we would lose the game. We lost our concentration at moments. Losing that match is still my bitterest futsal memory. But that game belongs to the past and we are looking to the future.

What’s the experience like of being at a World Cup?
Every moment of experiencing the World Cup atmosphere is a dream for every player. The unique energy created by the spectators and the atmosphere of the matches is so good that, even after they’re over, the images stay fixed in your mind for a long time.

There are a lot of amazing players in Asia like Aghapour, Ahmadabbasi, Arthur, Bekmurodov, Rafael Henmi, Harada, Kuromoto, Nishonov, Nowrouzi, Osamanmusa, Shimizu, Tayyebi and Thueanklang. How proud are you to have been named AFC Futsal Player of the Year?
It’s a great honour for me and for Iran. It belongs to Iran. I did not win it alone. We were a team and we fought together. The players you mentioned are all brilliant, I have great respect for them, and this award belongs to the people of Iran who love futsal and the national team.

Where do you think you rank among the world’s best wingers and who do you rate as the best?
I always try to be the best version of myself and help the team. The best winger in the world depends on the team’s results. Futsal is a team game, so no matter how good you are, you may not be good enough without quality team-mates. There are many really good wingers, but I like the style of Dyego Zuffo the most.

You have played alongside Hossein Tayyebi at club and international level. What do you think of him as a player?
Hossein Tayyebi is a very good role model for all young people who have a big dream. He trains professionally, lives professionally and is always ready to fight with all his heart – in training or games! Hossein always fights to win. He is one of those who made futsal popular among the new generation in Iran. It’s always a pleasure to train and play with him.

What do you think of these Venezuela and Guatemala teams?
Venezuela and Guatemala are physical and good teams. I don’t doubt that they will be close and difficult games. This is the World Cup and no-one comes for a vacation. You have to play with high concentration. I respect both teams and will enjoy playing against them.

France recently went on a 16-game unbeaten run, during which time they beat Brazil and drew with Spain. Just how good is this France side?
France are a very good team with very good players. They have a collection of physically and technically strong players. They have a lot of confidence and are probably even thinking about the title. For us, every game will be a final. Without looking at the name of our opponents, we try with all our heart. We are Iranian and we never play with fear.

What’s Iran’s target at Uzbekistan 2024?
Iran’s history in World Cups shows that we always come for the title. When we’ve been eliminated, most of the time it was by a team who reached the final. We are going into this World Cup with the dream of winning the title. We know that dreaming is not enough, so we will fight with all our hearts. My dream is the World Cup trophy. I will definitely fight for Iran until my last breath for this dream.

How many national teams do you believe have the potential to win this World Cup?
Brazil, Spain, Morocco, Portugal and France are contenders. We Iranians are the proudest team in Asia. Do not doubt that we are coming to this tournament with a lot of motivation to win the championship.