Aspetar Magazine 2026

42 ASPETAR MAGAZINE COVER STORY Your experience at Aspire Academy was a crucial stage in your journey; what were the most important things you learned there? Aspire Academy played a major role in my development, especially in terms of discipline and professionalism. I learned modern football methodologies at European and Asian levels, in addition to tactical awareness and proper movement on the pitch. Competing and training against international teams also helped me understand the level required and continuously improve my performance. Every striker has role models; which players influenced you? One of the most valuable experiences I had at the academy was training under Raúl González, who was responsible for coaching the strikers. We trained with him twice a week, and I benefited a lot from him, especially in movement inside the penalty area and finishing chances. As one of Real Madrid’s greatest strikers, he was a huge inspiration for me in developing my skills. You’ve achievedmajor milestones such as winning the Asian Cup and scoring nine goals in one edition; what does this mean to you? This achievement means a lot to me both personally and collectively. It reflects years of hard work and dedication. Being the top scorer of a single Asian Cup edition gives me greater responsibility to maintain my level and help the team achieve victories. Most importantly, the collective achievement is what remains in people’s memories. How do you see yourself today as a player and as a person? I always focus on discipline and professionalism, both on and off the pitch. I feel that we, as players, have become role models for others, which comes with great responsibility. Therefore, I always try to present myself in the best possible way in all aspects of life. With the World Cup approaching, how do you feel preparing for such a major tournament again? It is a great source of pride to participate in the World Cup again. We aim to perform better than in the previous edition and to represent Qatar in the best possible way while defending the national emblem. How do you mentally prepare yourself to deal with the pressure of major tournaments? Focus is a key factor in such tournaments. I try to stay away from social media before matches, as it can affect concentration. Instead, I focus all my energy on performance on the pitch and on the small details that can make a difference. I always focus on discipline and professionalism, both on and off the pitch.