The goal heard around Afghanistan

Alireza taking a break during a futsal game in Dasht-e-Barchi in Kabul, Afghanistan. — Tomas Munita/The New York Times

AFTER a lukewarm shower in the freezing winter of Kabul, Alireza Ahmadi combed his hair, tucked his white shirt into his black pants and stepped back onto the court.

Alireza, 17, is a phenomenon in Afghanistan, playing futsal, a faster indoor variant of football 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.