The rising Socceroos star isn’t interested in celebrity and heads into his first World Cup with a strong connection to his roots and feet firmly on the ground

The 22-year-old was surprised but not unhappy when he saw the image on social media. “Mohamed Touré is … The Ter-Mo-Nator,” the poster mock-up read, crafted in Photoshop or an AI tool, with Touré’s left eye glowing red. “Target acquired.”

Touré – whose nickname is Mo – has sparked the most excitement in Australian football fans for a Socceroos striker since Mark Viduka, who emerged at Melbourne Knights close to four decades ago. As one of the faces of the Socceroos’ current World Cup campaign, the hype is something Touré is starting to get used to.