Manzanares Quesos El Hidalgo has successfully signed Mehran Gholami, marking the arrival of the first Afghan player in Spanish futsal. Relief reports that the 19-year-old right winger, regarded as a rising star. Chose the La Mancha team over numerous Iranian clubs known for recruiting Afghan talent. Javier Limones, from Limones 5 Agency, led the operation, opening a new market in the First Division. Gholami, who was the youngest of the 336 players at the last World Cup in Uzbekistan at 18 years and 326 days, holds the record as the ninth-youngest scorer in FIFA World Championship history.
The 2021 World Cup was Afghanistan’s first major FIFA tournament since 1948, with the team impressively reaching the round of 16. Gholami stood out alongside Kazemi, who later joined Giti Pasand in Iran. Although Quesos El Hidalgo initially aimed to sign Gholami last summer, World Cup commitments and paperwork delayed the move until next season. Reflecting on the historic tournament, Gholami told FIFA, “I always dreamed of seeing Afghanistan at the World Cup, and achieving this milestone made all my family’s sacrifices worthwhile.”
Relief also interviewed Fernando Antonio Ballester, who advised Afghan coach Majid Mortezaei during the tournament. Ballester praised Gholami’s potential, describing him as a complete winger with strong scoring abilities, and expressed confidence in his ability to adapt to Spain’s demands. To ease this transition, Gholami plans to study Spanish, and Ballester likened his style to Adolfo, noting his defensive skills, game sense, and knack for scoring.
