Doha: Argentinian football superstar Lionel Messi surprised Qatari Asian Cup hero Almoez Ali with a Barcelona jersey signed by him.

The gift came after Almoez Ali, with nine critical goals,  helped Al Annabi to win the Asian Cup 2019. He has also crowned the player of tournament award and the top scorer in the Asian Cup.

During a show on BeIN Sport the presenter, Ayman Jada, presented Almoez a picture of the t-shirt numbered 19 and signed by the Barcelona star.

Almoez Ali scored nine goals in seven games at the Asian Cup 2019 and became the most scoring player in a single edition of the tournament.

Some press reports have revealed that Almoez has come on the radar of the Italian team AC Milan to join the club during the upcoming summer transfer period.

The Italian news website Calcio Mercato said in a report that the club was watching the player closely, especially after scoring nine goals in seven games, including a ‘super hat-trick’ in the North Korea match and a goal in the final of the tournament against Japan.

Almoez, who graduated from Qatar’s Aspire Academy, had said earlier that the next step he wanted to take in his career was a move to a European club.

“Of course, I look for European teams because in our league in Asia, not only in Qatar but in all of Asia, we know teams are weak and we see that at the World Cup. They do not go far. Always, they go out, ” he was quoted in a Reuters report.

“I hope to go out [to Europe] to learn and to come back for the World Cup in Doha in 2022.”

Date – Time: 06 Feb 2019 – 20:39

Credit:The Peninsula Qatar

Source URL:https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/06/02/2019/Messi-surprises-Qatar-s-Almoez-Ali-with-a-special-gift