Introducing Muriqi, the ‘Pirate’ competing with Mbappé for the LaLiga scoring title.

His name is Vedat Muriqi, which has a similar sound to “Pichichi,” the accolade awarded to LaLiga’s leading goal scorer each season.

The 31-year-old forward has now become Mallorca’s all-time top scorer in LaLiga, surpassing the legendary African footballer, Samuel Eto’o. The imposing Kosovo international (6-foot-4, 204 pounds) is now actively pursuing Kylian Mbappé at the pinnacle of Spain’s scoring leaderboard, and he is the first player from Kosovo to come close to being the top scorer in any of Europe’s five major leagues.

Real Madrid’s FIFA World Cup-winning striker, Mbappé — one of the most celebrated athletes globally — currently leads Muriqi by just two goals (23-21). He suffered a defeat to Muriqi’s decisive goal when Los Blancos lost 2-1 at Mallorca’s Son Moix stadium last week and, like all other players in the league, is being challenged by “The Pirate,” who has netted more goals (12) than anyone else in LaLiga since January began. Since Muriqi’s transfer to the Balearic island from Lazio, he has been part of a squad battling relegation, surrounded by average players; in contrast, Mbappé is regarded as the best in the game, benefiting from superstars creating opportunities for him consistently.

What does this indicate about Muriqi and his accomplishments, pound for pound?

This is the tall, ponytailed, gap-toothed forward who, each time he scores, covers his left eye with his hand to mimic a pirate’s patch, sailing around the island’s coast in a boat adorned with a skull-and-crossbones flag, allowing him to share on social media whenever Mallorca secures a victory.

He is the pirate now, but that was not always the case. The entire persona originates from his exceptional sense of humor — a trait that would require convincing several LaLiga central defenders he possesses, as he becomes a formidable presence on the pitch. It all began at Fenerbahce, during his rise to prominence.

“It was my first significant match, and I scored, so when I went for the post-match interview, the interviewer asked me, ‘Did you see that your wife posted something on Instagram?'” Muriqi recounted to ESPN. “But I had warned her beforehand, ‘Please be cautious because we’re at Fener now, and they have 30 million fans!’ So I thought, ‘Oh my god, what has she done?’

“However, the fans on social media had been asking her, ‘What are you feeding this guy?!’ And she responded, ‘Raw meat!’ So her post went viral, and the Fener fans started calling me ‘Cannibal’ … and whenever I visited restaurants, the staff would bring me raw meat, thinking it was a good joke, asking, ‘Aren’t you going to eat it?’

“But when I transferred to Lazio, the sporting director there disliked that nickname and told me, ‘You look more like a pirate,’ and I carried that nickname to Mallorca, performing the eyepatch celebration whenever I score … so that’s my story.

“Scoring goals is my profession, but this aspect is a bit theatrical, and here in Mallorca, people enjoy it.”

Muriqi is currently the king of the island, yet he remains humble.

“I know myself; I’m not a player with exceptional technique, I’m not fast, so the only thing I possess is my strength — I must utilize it effectively,” he stated. “Hold the ball, assist my teammates; day by day, I’m striving to maximize that ability. I recognize my strongest attribute and aim to play to it.”

When frequently asked about a 2022 interview in which a local radio station mentioned that his then-Mallorca manager, Javier Aguirre, had called him unattractive, Muriqi consistently displays his humorous, quick-witted nature.

His response is always, “I know, I’m unattractive! I’m not handsome … but I still believe I’m somewhat appealing!” Whenever questioned whether his wife, Edibe, agrees with others’ views that he is “ugly,” he always smiles. “She doesn’t see too well!”

Indeed: he is clever, resilient in the face of teasing. He is quite a likable individual. Yet this — amidst his current success, which saw him tapping the side of his head to indicate to the Mallorca fans that they were enthusiastic when they chanted for his Ballon d’Or recognition after that record-setting brace on Sunday, and then breaking into a Baloo the Bear dance while singing along with them — is the same large, gentle giant who was on his hands and knees, openly sobbing in pain and relief just a week prior.

Football can be harsh one moment and then comforting the next.

The sequence of events unfolded as follows: Mallorca lost to fellow relegation rivals Elche just before the FIFA World Cup playoffs. Muriqi stepped up for a 92nd-minute penalty and missed, sending it over the bar, missing an opportunity that would have secured a vital point for his team. It was a devastating setback.

Then, with Kosovo, he fought through the World Cup semifinal playoff only to lose 1-0 to Türkiye, likely ending his dream of leading his small, young nation to that global football event.

Worse, an uninformed fan on a Kosovan TV program (“Klan Kosova”) suggested that Muriqi — who holds Turkish citizenship, a status Fenerbahce encouraged him to pursue in 2015 to free up a spot in their squad for another foreign player — might have shared Kosovo’s strategy with their opponents. This was baseless nonsense — the type of derogatory remarks some feel entitled to make due to the new era of social media, where people express the first negative thought that comes to mind.

Truly unfortunate. And it deeply affected Muriqi.

He took to social media to express: “Shame on you! I am Turkish, like many born in Prizren, but I am more patriotic and more Kosovan than you! To think a player, in a crucial match for his country, would sabotage the game simply because he was born in Prizren and speaks Turkish … You must have mental issues or be devoid of feelings and respect for someone who has given everything for the Kosovo national team. Personally, I will never forgive you for all this pain. May God curse you!”

Thus, when his next match resulted in a remarkable victory over Real Madrid, with Muriqi scoring the decisive goal with his weaker foot in the final moments, just after Madrid had dramatically equalized, he was overwhelmed with emotion.

“OK, I know I’m unattractive and tough, but I’m human, too,” he stated. “And there’s a little child at the core of how I live, who has dreams and desires to experience positive moments. I’ve had to endure recently, and those tears after defeating Madrid were due to that.”

Muriqi concluded his 55th Mallorca goal by reminding everyone that he wishes to remain and finish his career there, even rejecting a return to Fenerbahce during the winter transfer window, by adding: “Each goal is part of my obligation to this shirt. Making history is significant, but there is still much more to accomplish. Surpassing a great name like Eto’o is an honor, but records are never achieved alone, so thanks to my teammates and everyone who believes in me. Without you, it would be impossible.”

Without him, it would be unfeasible for this Mallorca squad to remain in LaLiga. Currently, they are eight points shy of the total generally considered necessary for safety from relegation: 42. When they reach that mark, as Captain Muriqi will ensure, do not expect them to raise the LaLiga flag; it will be the Jolly Roger in tribute to “El Pirata.” I challenge you not to salute.