This 14-year-old footballer achieved a world record! Here’s how he did it
Meraj Zamaniyan from Iran has loved football for as long as he can remember. ⚽
He grew up playing the game in school and has competed in the AFC Vision Asia Youth Premier League - the highest level of Iranian youth football!
His 2 main dreams have always been to claim a Guinness World Records title and become a professional footballer. 💭
And at the age of 14, Meraj ticked off his first goal. ✅
On 24 July 2024, the talented teen achieved the most football touches with the feet on a treadmill in 1 minute (male) in Tehran, Iran.
He racked up 181 taps in just 60 seconds – that’s 1 every 0.33 seconds! 😮
Fun fact for the girls – the female version of this record belongs to Iran’s Mohadeseh Goudasiaei who completed 178 toe taps in 1 minute on 13 March 2023.
So how did Meraj develop this speedy skill?
He first learned to juggle a football at the age of 7. 👣
The now-15-year-old told GWR: “I first tried juggling on the treadmill five years ago, and after that, I practised it occasionally at a low speed, around 2.5 km/h.”
To successfully set the record, Meraj needed to perform the football taps at more than double this pace! 🫨
“Gradually, I increased the speed, but I must admit that reaching 6.5 km/h was very difficult.”
Practice makes progress! 📈
Meraj explained: “I train in football and juggling almost every day.
“For the 6 months leading up to my record attempt, I practised for 2 hours every day, including treadmill juggling, strength training [and] aerobic exercises.”
Consistency is key when learning a new skill! 📅
Despite training not being easy, quitting was never an option for the youngster.
“No, I never thought about giving up,” he said proudly. “My father always told me never to quit, and the thought of achieving a Guinness World Records title gave me a lot of motivation.”
This is your reminder to never give up on your dreams! 🫶
Meraj also took inspiration from footballers all over the world, particularly his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Did you know that Ronaldo holds nearly 50 GWR titles? 👀
His record collection includes the most wins in an international football career (male) – a whopping 133 victories between August 2003 and March 2025!
How cool is that?! 🏆
If you would like to earn your very own world record – and join the GWR family alongside Meraj and Ronaldo – here is what Meraj suggests…
“I advise [kids] to believe in their abilities and to enjoy practising every day in order to achieve their dreams.”
Anything is possible when you believe in yourself! ❤️
Looking back at when Meraj became the first holder of his GWR title, he described it as “one of the best days of [his] life”.
“[It] was a beautiful dream that came true for me.” 😊
So, now Meraj has accomplished his first big goal, he’s got his sights on the next…
“I just want to become a professional footballer, and I will achieve that goal.”
We believe in you, Meraj! 👏