TICKETS
Fallin’ by Alicia Keys, Gone by NSYNC, Hero by Enrique Iglesias and U Remind Me by Usher were flying high on singles’ charts across the planet. MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and Xboxes didn’t exist. VCRs outsold DVDs, more people had desktops than laptops, and landlines were used more than mobiles. It was September 2001 and Nasimeh Gholami was making her IR Iran debut.
Times may have changed, but one thing that hasn’t, astonishingly, is that Gholami, 24 years later, is still playing international futsal. Furthermore, she’s set to wear the Iran No10 shirt in he first FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup™.
FIFA caught up with Gholami to discuss inspiration from Cristiano Ronaldo, her excitement over being at Philippines 2025, and her eagerness to prove she can “compete at the highest level even at the age of 40”.
Nasimeh Gholami: The first time I wore the national team jersey of my country, it felt like a dream. It had always been my wish, and wearing it gave me an incredible feeling, because wearing the national-team shirt is the dream of every player.
Consistency, discipline, commitment. All of these are very difficult, but I always tell myself that I can overcome them. I wanted to prove to the world that age is just a number for Nasimeh Gholami. And of course, with the right lifestyle, consistency, hard work and a strong mind, you can achieve anything you want. The World Cup was my athletic dream, and I’m happy that I reached it.
I love Messi, but my role model is [Cristiano] Ronaldo, who is my age and still playing at the highest level of world football. I’m proud that at my age, I’m competing in the biggest tournament in the world.
The World Cup was the dream of every one of us, and the match against China was extremely important for us. We were only thinking about winning because we wanted that World Cup spot. After the match, we all cried and thanked God. It was a truly indescribable feeling for all of us.
Maral is honestly a phenomenon in Iran and one of the best players. I’m sure she will shine at the World Cup.
Brazil have always been one of the best teams in the world, and we respect them. But we are Iran, and we will give everything we have. We want to surprise the world.
About five or six years ago, we played a friendly against Italy in Iran and we beat them. Of course, I know that teams have changed compared to previous years, and based on what I’ve seen from Italy recently, I know they’re at the highest level. But we have our own plan for every match, and we will definitely step on to the court to win.
I’m incredibly excited. I can’t even describe it. I’m eagerly waiting for the start of the matches. I worked so hard to be here at the World Cup – I went through a lot, trained a lot – and I want to show the world that when you have consistency, effort, and a strong mind, you can compete at the highest level even at the age of 40. Iran will definitely shock the world at the World Cup.
