Faiz Subri admitted that he'd like to take a selfie with Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo as he flew out from Malaysia for Monday's 2016 FIFA Football Awards in Switzerland.
Ronaldo has already claimed the Ballon d'Or for the fourth time after his achievements in 2016, while Penang winner Faiz is considered favourite to claim the FIFA Puskas Award, ahead of Corinthians' Marlone, and Daniuska Rodriguez, of Venezuela.
"My idol has always been Ronaldo, and if I manage to get a selfie with him, it will be so memorable," Faiz told ESPN FC. "Of course, the bigger dream would be to stand beside him, with both of us holding our awards."
Jetlag from an arduous 14-hour journey halfway across the globe would instantly be forgotten if Faiz is honoured in Zurich, courtesy of his outrageous, knuckleball free kick against Pahang last February.
Accompanied by his wife and two young children, the 29-year-old was farewelled by a sizeable crowd of media and fans at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Sunday.
Even if he doesn't win, the softly spoken Faiz says he will still be content.
"Making it to the top three itself is already success to me. I have mixed feelings at the moment, but I hope Malaysia will be praying for me," said Faiz, who admitted getting dozens of congratulatory calls after being on the final shortlist.
The set-piece specialist looks odds to have a good chance of creating footballing history for Malaysia. His goal has been viewed over 2.3 million times on FIFATV's YouTube channel, compared to the duo who have yet to reach the one million mark.
No Asian has ever picked up the prize in its eight-year history, with Ronaldo winning the 2009 award.
Faiz, who has yet to play for the national team, despite being called up to squads, is hoping his strike sets the bar for his contemporaries to emulate in the future.
A photo posted by faiz subri (@faiz_subri13) on
"Malaysian footballers are also capable of scoring wonder goals like this, and I hope my strike will inspire them to try and put us on the world map," added Faiz, who admitted he'd packed enough winter attire to brave temperatures below freezing in Switzerland's largest city.
The goal was one of two scored by Faiz in a 4-1 victory by Penang in a Malaysia Super League game against Pahang on Feb. 16.
Accompanying Faiz and his family was FAM deputy president Datuk Seri Affandi Hamzah.