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Fereshteh Karimi called Rome home. She loved the city, the country and its people. Now she’s out to devastate them. IR Iran take on Italy on Sunday for the right the play Portugal in the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup™ quarter-finals.
Ahead the game, Karimi spoke to FIFA about her pride at representing Iran, heroics at PhilSports Arena and the showdown with Italy.
Fereshteh Karimi: After many years of hard work in futsal, being at the World Cup feels like the realisation of one of my biggest dreams. This tournament is not just a sporting event for me – it’s a chance to measure myself at the highest level, to feel the excitement of facing the best teams, and to step on to a stage that every player aspires to reach. I feel that all the challenges, training sessions, and the long journey I’ve been through have found their meaning here, and they’ve made me more motivated than ever to fight for my team.
Hearing the national anthem is always one of the most emotional and proud moments of my life. When I wear the jersey of my country, I’m not just a player – I represent the people, the culture, and everyone who has supported me on this journey. This feeling of responsibility and pride gives me the strength to be the best version of myself, even in the toughest matches.
Scoring in the World Cup was an amazing feeling. When it’s a beautiful goal, it’s even better. I’d dreamed about that first goal for a very long time. I was even happier that my goals helped the team win. I dedicated the goals to my team-mates and all the Iranians supporters. I’m glad I could help my team. I promise that every game I’m going to get better and better.
Italy are a very high-quality, well-organised and experienced team. Their style of play combines strong tactical structure, quick transitions and precise decision-making in crucial moments. We have a lot of respect for them, but at the same time we will step on to the court with full focus and determination. Playing against a team like Italy is a big motivation and a valuable challenge for any player. As for us, Team Iran, my team-mates and I are all united with one goal: to advance to the next round.
Renata is a very talented player with great technique and strong game intelligence. Competing against someone of her level is always exciting for me.
Italy are an amazing team, but we’re going to win this game. I’m going to put 20 years’ experience and everything I have into beating them. I guarantee that we’re going to achieve this.
