Ali Zein is a bonafide superstar in Egypt. Ask any Egyptian handball fan about him and they will tell you a story about their left back, who has become immensely popular since making his debut for the national team in 2011, as a 21-year-old.

Since then, Zein has featured over 300 times for the African powerhouse, winning four titles in the CAHB African Men’s Handball Championship, where he was the MVP in 2018 and the All-Star left back in 2020 and 2022.

He started his career at Al-Ahly, a team he came back to three times, featuring sporadically in 2020, 2023 and 2025, and then played in France, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, before signing for Barcelona.

His collaboration with Xavi Pascual yielded one title in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League, and Zein quickly followed the Spanish coach to Dinamo București, where he played during the last three seasons.

But now, with Pascual at Veszprém HC, Zein made another move, aiming for more trophies. The first can come on Thursday, on Egyptian soil, as the Hungarian side, the title holders at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship, will play the final for the second edition in a row against FC Barcelona.

“A great coach, to be honest, an amazing one. He knows me very well, I know what he asks from the players. And I trust him a lot. And he trusts me a lot, because we worked together at three teams now, therefore it is always special when you have this relationship and we can do great things,” says Zein.

Zein was superb in the match, fuelling a comeback for the Hungarian side after being down three goals in the first half and two at the break, 9:11. The Egypt left back scored four of his team’s six goals in the second half, spurring a 5:0 run which proved to be pivotal in the match.

“It is an amazing feeling. We did a very good job in the semi-final against Magdeburg, there were some ups and downs, but we really played very hard, we did our maximum, I think we deserved to win,” added Zein after Veszprém’s 23:20 win against Magdeburg.

With Pascual’s naming at the beginning of the previous season, Veszprém signalled their intentions to cement their status as one of the best club teams in the world, eyeing that precious title in the Champions League, one which evaded the Hungarian side for a long time.

They failed to win it last season, being eliminated by Magdeburg in the quarter-finals, after a fiery doubleheader, but instead they won the title in the IHF Men’s Club World Championship, their maiden in history, in 2024, winning the final against Magdeburg.

They now avenged those losses in this semi-final, which enables Veszprém to stay in the hunt for their second consecutive title in a competition which Pascual has won six times – five times with Barcelona and once with Veszprém.

And Veszprém look to have what it takes – an amazing depth and some fantastic players, who are able to deliver and take control of a match, like Zein did in the first 10 minutes of the second half against Magdeburg.

Ivan Martinovic and Nedim Remili are on the right back position, Ahmed Hesham, Yehia Elderaa and Zein can interchange their positions, while Luka Cindric just adds another dimension to the back line.

“We have a very strong team and we are ready for any challenge, we are ready for everything,” says Zein, who scored 10 goals in the first three matches of the 2025 IHF Men’s Club World Championship.

Veszprém also beat Al-Ahly, 31:22, in the final match of the preliminary round, with Zein being sought after by the fans present in the New Administrative Capital after the match, spending more than half an hour talking to them and taking pictures.

“Of course, being back in Egypt, it is something absolutely fantastic. It is a feeling that it is hard to describe in words,” says Zein.

And here, in Egypt, he can win the first international trophy with his new team. 

“Something that we can only dream of, no,” says Zein about the prospect.

Between the pictures taken with the fans, Zein also had some time to spend with his family, all dressed in Veszprém’s red colour, with his trademark 90 number – the year which he was born in.

“It recharges me, it is something special of course and I was very happy to see them and to be able to talk to them here,” adds Zein.

While he is 34 years old, he still has that fire in his belly and the firepower on the court, proving that everything is possible if one wants it.

As Pascual took over Egypt’s national team this summer, the African side just added another layer of know-how and excellence. “He knows me and I know him” makes it a dangerous proposition for opponents, in the view of the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship.

And with four Egyptian players in Veszprém’s roster – Ahmed Hesham, Yehia Elderaa, Ahmed Adel and Zein – this core can bring more happiness to a country which lives and breathes handball.