Zain Naghmi ( or , born June 11, 1996), more commonly known by his tag Zain, is an American Super Smash Bros. Melee player from Reston, Virginia. Beginning his career in 2014, he rapidly climbed the ranks, becoming a ranked top 100 player in the world within only two years, a top 10 player since 2018 and was ranked the number one player in the world in 2022. Naghmi plays Marth and is currently considered the best Marth player in the world. He has been sponsored by Golden Guardians since 2020. His most notable tournament placings include first at GENESIS 7 and GENESIS 8, second at The Big House 9 and Smash Summit 11 and third at Smash Summit 12 and Super Smash Con 2019. A 2021 list compiled by PGstats ranked Naghmi as the ninth-greatest Melee player of all time. Career 2014–2017: Non-ranked beginnings Zain first began competing in Melee tournaments in May 2014, with his first tournament being at "Smash @ Clarendon", a popular weekly event in Arlington, Virginia. He largely competed in local tournaments while in his first year at Virginia Tech, and had soon established himself as a formidable opponent among the Maryland/Virginia scene. Zain's breakout performance at a major tournament came in 2015, when he placed 33rd at Super Smash Con 2015, which was followed by a 1st-place finish at the MD/VA Fall Arcadian, the highest non-ranked tournament in the region. 2017–2018: Beginning of professional career Zain's 2017 season began with an appearance on the SSBMRank, a biannual power ranking presented by Red Bull, where he was ranked as the 66th best Melee player for his performance in 2016. A heavy influence on the ranking was his performance at The Big House 6, where he placed 17th overall including a 2–0 victory over Justin "Plup" McGrath, who was ranked 6th in the world at the time. Zain's placing earned him some interest from Plup's team, Panda Global, who offered him a sponsorship; however, the deal never went through. 2017 saw high placements at several major tournaments which included 5th place at Super Smash Con 2017, bumping Zain up to 22nd on the SSBMRank 2017. He was again approached by Panda Global who offered him a full sponsorship - this time, Zain accepted, with the team officially announcing the signing on April 12, 2018. 2018–2019: Panda Global and the rise to the top Under Panda Global,