It's the dream of many a young football fan to play for their country and perhaps, one day, to represent it in an international tournament. For Ali Saleh, that dream is within reach after he was voted the best young player in the UAE and headhunted to play in the national senior team. The 19-year-old from Dubai has had many pinch-yourself over the past few years, from being signed up to play for Al Wasl's senior squad the day after his 16th birthday, the youngest ever player to do so, to winning his Golden Ball from the Arabian Gulf League and being snapped up by Nike on a three-year sponsorship contract. "It's always been a dream of mine to play for the national team," admitted Saleh.
Much hope rests on his young shoulders – and other teenage athletes like him – to become the first UAE sports star to make it on the international stage. The pressure on athletes at a young age can be huge and it’s important to bear in mind how much support he will need as he begins a thrilling new chapter. Saleh is fortunate enough to have a strong family network, with an Emirati father who has been dropping him off at training grounds since he was six years old. The teen footballer has another special asset that is unique to the multicultural UAE, with its 200 nationalities living side by side. His mother is Scottish and he has always had a foot in both worlds, even speaking English with a slight Scottish lilt. Part of a generation with a multitude of diverse cultural influences, that stands him in good stead to stay grounded and feel at home, wherever he is in the world. If he does one day discover his dream of playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, there will undoubtedly be proud supporters on two continents claiming him as their hero.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 5
Keita 1', Mane 23', 66', Salah 45' 1, 83'
Huddersfield 0
MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
