“I always try my best when I play, but I didn't expect to score that many goals, especially in our opening match and at such an important stage,” said the FC Istiklol reserve team player. 

Nazriev netted his four hat-tricks plus two on October 23 - his 16th birthday. The icing on the cake arrived four days later when he grabbed a brace in their 2-0 win over Oman to emerge the leading scorer at the Qualifiers.

His contribution also helped Tajikistan become the Qualifiers’ top-scoring side with 38 goals from three matches and finish their group unbeaten.

“While I was very happy with my showing at the tournament, I don’t think of my achievement as anything really extraordinary.”

He has yet to score at Saudi Arabia 2025, but he’s more focused on his team.

“My team comes before me, and our overall achievement is very important,” he said. “We are really set on winning this tournament and qualifying for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025.”

Nazriev hails from Vahdat, a city in western Tajikistan, and grew up watching Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on television. He taught himself to play on the streets of his hometown and started taking the game seriously when he was 10 years old.

“I wanted to be like the superstars I watched on TV, and besides, everyone in my family loves football. They are now my biggest fans.”

Nazriev is currently working on his speed and dribbling as he knows these are crucial to helping him move up. 

"I hope to one day represent the senior team," he said. "I would also love to play for Barcelona as I’ve supported them since I was a child.” 

Nazriev will hope to be firing on all cylinders when Tajikistan take on Islamic Republic of Iran in their final Group D fixture on Friday, where a win will assure them of a spot in the quarter-finals and a ticket to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025.