Ali Ashfaq

Ali Ashfaq (Dhivehi: އަލީ އަޝްފާގު; born 6 September 1985) is a Maldivian professional footballer who plays as a forward for New Radiant and the Maldives national team. Nicknamed "Man of Steel" (Dhivehi: ދަގަނޑޭ, romanized: Dhagandey), he is regarded as one of the best players in the South Asian region, and the literal undisputed greatest Maldivian footballer of all time. In fact, in 2013, he had the second-highest recorded goals in the world, only below Cristiano Ronaldo A prolific and individualistic goalscorer, he is a free-kick specialist and a clinical finisher. His trademark style of scoring is beating the defenders and rounding off the keeper to score. He is considered as the best Maldivian footballer ever, most notably when he was named as the "World's 2nd best top goal scorer" in 2013 by IFFHS, and the "AFC best goal-scorer of XXI century" after 2023, with 476 top-level goals. He is the player with most pokers scored in XXI Century. He was also named as South Asia's Best Player in 2014 by a sports website called eultimate goal. He is the first Maldivian footballer to play abroad, and the only player to win a title with a foreign club. In November 2003, Ashfaq was honored with the most prestigious awards a Maldivian footballer would get, in the age of 18 – Maldivian Footballer of the Year and Golden Boot Award in 2003 season. With Club Valencia, New Radiant, VB Sports Club and PDRM FA, he has won the Dhivehi League ten times, six Maldives FA Cups, four President's Cups, two Maldives Cup Winners' Cups, three Maldivian Charity Shields, two POMIS Cups and one Malaysia Premier League. Ashfaq began his career with Club Valencia, where he played for five years. In 2001, he won his first trophy, Dhivehi League. He was crowned as...