NYT:
Alireza, 17, is a phenomenon in Afghanistan, playing futsal, a faster indoor variant of soccer played with five on each side. Word had spread that he was participating in a local tournament on a recent afternoon, and fans, their smartphones raised, rushed to snap a selfie with him as he exited the locker room. The teenager became a national hero last fall after scoring the winning goal against Afghanistan’s archrival, Iran, giving the country its first title at the Asian Youth Games, held in Bahrain. The victory spurred an outburst of collective joy that has become rare under Taliban rule and, for many Afghans, has upended how they perceive their own country.
