Football: Starting from the 05 World Youth Championship

Congratulations on defending your home turf!

Immediately after the match, Mourinho walked over to Guardiola and extended his hand from a distance.

Guardiola also had this idea, but Mourinho beat him to it, and he politely said:
"Thank you, and congratulations on continuing your undefeated streak!"

The two exchanged words of congratulations, but their hands were secretly wrestling, their grips turning white until they both grimaced in pain before they finally let go.

On the field, Lin Feng and Messi seemed to have a mutual respect for each other.
"You played well today!"

"The same to you!"

"How about we exchange jerseys?"

"it is good!"

……

Failing to beat Real Madrid at home is clearly not good news for Barcelona.

The gap between the two teams has not been narrowed. If Barcelona wants to close the gap again, they can only wait for their opponents to make mistakes or wait for their next match in the second half of the season.

But next time, it will be their turn to visit the Bernabéu.

In recent years, Barcelona has struggled to even draw at the Bernabéu, let alone win. Unless Real Madrid undergoes a major upheaval, their chances of defeating Real Madrid are extremely low.

However, for Real Madrid, although the result of losing points to Barcelona and having their winning streak broken was not perfect, as Guardiola said, they at least maintained their unbeaten record and left Camp Nou unscathed without being ambushed by their opponents.

In the following two months, Real Madrid did not face any particularly strong opponents in either the league or the Champions League. Although they were competing on three fronts, the pressure was not great because the opponents were not strong.

The subsequent match results proved this to be true.
随后的三轮联赛中，皇马分别以4:2、3:1和6:0击败了阿尔梅里亚、瓦伦西亚和萨拉戈萨，重新取得三连胜的同时，将自己的不败场次延长到了15场。

In the Champions League, Real Madrid defeated Zurich and Marseille with scores of 2-0 and 3-1 respectively, and finally led the group with 15 points, advancing to the knockout stage as the group winner.

On the other side, Barcelona didn't falter either, following in Real Madrid's footsteps and also securing their third consecutive league victory.

As a result, the score difference between the two sides remained at around 6 points, neither widening nor narrowing.

In fact, given the strength of these two teams, as long as they don't make mistakes, it will be very difficult for other La Liga teams to take points from them.

Unless they encounter an opportunity to be distracted by league and cup competitions, but that opportunity won't come until the second half of the season.

……

With the Ballon d'Or ceremony approaching, the question of who will win this year's award has sparked widespread discussion in the football world.

Especially after mid-December, major media outlets began reporting on the matter, further increasing the attention and buzz surrounding the Golden Globe Awards.

Unlike the past two years when Lin Feng had almost no rivals and dominated the championship, this time it's different.

This year's Golden Globe Awards are full of suspense; at least until the results are announced, no one can guarantee who will win the trophy.

I bet five cents that Lin Feng will win the Golden Globe this year!

I disagree. Messi's performance last year was no worse than Lin Feng's!

[Haha, Lin Feng has the Champions League trophy and the Champions League Finals MVP, what does Messi have to compare with?]

[Messi has a league title and a European Golden Boot, and he even won that league title by beating Real Madrid. Doesn't that prove his worth?]

"What are you saying? Didn't Real Madrid win the Champions League by stepping on Barcelona's corpse? Besides, since when has the league title been used to compare with the Champions League title?"

As far as I know, the Ballon d'Or selection criteria don't seem to be strictly tied to the Champions League title, and in fact, most players aren't even members of the Champions League-winning team of the season they win the award!

Similar arguments have occurred countless times between the two sides' fans, with both sides firmly supporting their idols and neither side willing to be persuaded.

All the dust will settle when FIFA reveals the final answer!
……

On December 22, at 12 p.m., the red carpet outside the Zurich Opera House was already laid out.

A large number of journalists from all over the world, carrying cameras and microphones, had already taken up advantageous positions, crowding both sides of the red carpet.

An hour later, the highly anticipated 2009 FIFA Awards Ceremony will be held here.

Perhaps because this year's Golden Globe Awards were more suspenseful, the number of onlookers and reporters seemed to be far greater than in previous years.

Although similar to last year, the final selection for this year's FIFA World Player of the Year award was narrowed down to five almost identical candidates.

Lin Feng, Messi, Xavi, Ronaldo, and Kaká are the five players who have entered the final competition stage.

It's worth noting that four of the five players are from La Liga, while only one is from the Premier League.

This made La Liga fans, who usually argue about whether La Liga or the Premier League is the world's best league, stand up proudly.

Hmph, what can a tiny English Premier League compare to our great La Liga?

We have four candidates in the top five in La Liga, while you only have one!
If Kaká hadn't transferred to the Premier League, the Premier League would have had zero nominees for this year's Ballon d'Or.

Even if Kaká squeezes out Iniesta and makes it into the top five, he would still be at the bottom of the rankings, and his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or would be less than one percent.

The players most likely to win the Ballon d'Or are all from La Liga!
Knowing he was only there to make up the numbers, Kaka arrived at the venue early.

The 27-year-old Kaka is incredibly handsome. Today, he was dressed in a sharp suit and red tie, arm in arm with his wife, and frequently waved to the fans and reporters around him.

"Kaka, we love you!"

With his talent and good looks, Kaka has a considerable number of fans in the football world.

There were many of his fans at the scene, and they shouted excitedly when they saw their idol arrive.

This scene is no different from the fanatical fans chasing after their idols.

To be honest, with Kaka's looks, it seems like she could easily become an idol.

Like Lin Feng, Kaka is also very fond of his fans.

Faced with the enthusiastic welcome from the fans, Kaka didn't put on airs and smiled as he accepted their requests for autographs and photos. He walked the several-dozen-meter-long red carpet for more than ten minutes and still hadn't finished.

The second to arrive were Messi and Xavi, both of whom came directly from their clubs.

As one of the two leading candidates for this year's Ballon d'Or, Messi is receiving significantly more attention than Kaká did previously.

Reporters at the scene swarmed in from all directions almost the instant he got out of the car, carrying their cameras and microphones.

"Messi, what are your thoughts on this year's Ballon d'Or?"

Are you confident you can beat Lin Feng and win your first Ballon d'Or?

"What are your goals for this season?"

"Is your goal to win the World Cup next year?"

The reporters bombarded him with a barrage of questions, practically shoving microphones into his mouth.

This scene caught Messi off guard, and the flashing lights from countless cameras made him extremely uncomfortable. When his fans chanted "We love him" like Kaka's fans, Messi blushed even more.

Like a frightened little rabbit, under the cover of her older brother Harvey, she quickly fled the red carpet.

He was truly not good at handling this kind of occasion. Walking the red carpet under the spotlight was even more difficult than inspecting Real Madrid's defense on the pitch.

If it weren't for this opportunity to win the Ballon d'Or, Messi really wouldn't want to come!
Messi and Xavi had just gone in when Lin Feng arrived.

The car had barely stopped, and before anyone had even gotten out, reporters swarmed in, completely surrounding it.

"Excuse me, please make way!"

Staff at the scene rushed forward to separate the reporters from the enthusiastic fans, but the surging crowd continued to push forward, and the newly cleared passage was soon squeezed out again.

As Lin Feng got out of the car, the reporters leaned out and stretched their arms to hand him microphones.

Lin Feng simply waved his hand, declining the interview.

He then went around to the other side, opened another car door, and considerately held the roof with his hand, helping a young and beautiful woman out of the car.

For most of the reporters and fans present, this was the first time they had seen Lin Feng in such close contact with a woman in public. In an instant, all sorts of speculations filled the reporters' minds.

The person being helped off the bus was none other than Liu Yifei.

The two got engaged last year and have planned to hold their wedding next year.

Therefore, Liu Yifei accompanied Lin Feng to this awards ceremony as his fiancée.

Before the fairy sister even got out of the car, she was almost blinded by the flashing lights outside.

Although she has walked the red carpet many times both at home and abroad, this is the first time for Liu Yifei to participate in an event with such a large scale and so many reporters.

But Liu Yifei had excellent mental fortitude. She gently tugged at Lin Feng's arm, leaned against his side, and faced the countless cameras on site, smiling and waving to the cameras and fans with grace and poise. She showed no sign of nervousness or unease.

After Liu Yifei got out of the car, there was a gasp of surprise from the crowd, and many people were stunned by her beauty.

Today, Liu Yifei is wearing a white Tang-style high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), which makes her look ethereal and fairy-like, as if she has descended from heaven.

Many fans and reporters were initially focused on Lin Feng, but the "Fairy Sister" was so beautiful that they couldn't take their eyes off her.

Seeing this, domestic fans almost couldn't help but shout the slogan "Kill Lin, steal Yifei" again.

As it turns out, the fairy sister's outfit not only made her the focus of attention when she was out in public.

Inside the opera house, she was still the most dazzling person there.

The staff, guests, FIFA officials, football legends, and celebrities present couldn't help but cast curious glances at the scene.

Xavi and Messi, who were originally sitting in the front row, couldn't help but keep turning around after Lin Feng and Liu Yifei came in.

Kaka, who was standing nearby, even brought his wife to sit next to Lin Feng, nudged Lin Feng with his shoulder, and asked in a low voice:

"Your girlfriend?"

"She's my fiancée, we're getting married soon!"

"Congratulations in advance! Your fiancée is really beautiful. Remember to send me an invitation. I'll definitely come to your wedding sometime!"

"no problem!"

The two used to be rivals in Serie A, but that rivalry faded after Lin Feng left Serie A.

Although we rarely keep in touch now, when we meet again, it feels like we've been old friends for many years.

Xavi and Messi, who were sitting in the front row, heard the conversation and decided to join in the fun.

The three are rivals at the club, but their relationship off-field is not so antagonistic.

Harvey had long admired Lin Feng's skill and sportsmanship because he often faced him in matches, and had wanted to befriend him for a long time.

Although Messi and Lin Feng are rivals, their competition is limited to football. Outside of football, they can even be considered friends.

The group sat and chatted for a while before Ronaldo finally arrived.

Like Kaka, the president was also wearing a handsome suit today, and he had his hair styled like an adult.

At first glance, he has an excellent appearance and temperament, almost on par with Lin Feng and Kaka, two of the most handsome men in the football world.

But the person next to this guy was a bit unfamiliar even to Lin Feng, his teammate. He seemed different from the one he had seen last week!
Hagiiro, you've changed girlfriends again!

Lin Feng was too lazy to complain. It was someone else's private life, and he couldn't care less.

Cristiano Ronaldo glanced around the field, found Lin Feng, and naturally brought his girlfriend to sit down next to Lin Feng and Liu Yifei.

"Lin, who is this?"

As soon as he sat down, Ronaldo couldn't help but speak.

Lin Feng repeated his answer to Kaka, and then extended an invitation to him.

Since it's the same whether one or two come, we might as well invite them all. Whether they come or not is their own business.

Cristiano Ronaldo readily agreed; he understood this basic social etiquette.

With some time to spare before the awards ceremony began, the group gathered together and started chatting.

The conversation naturally revolved around football.

"Who do you think is most likely to win next year's World Cup?"

"I think it should be Argentina, their attacking line is too strong!"

After saying this, Kaka glanced at Messi. Although he was Brazilian, he didn't think the Brazilian team would achieve any good results in this World Cup. Although he would fight hard until the last moment, Kaka knew that on a stage like the World Cup, one person's strength was too weak.

"I think it might be the German team. The German team's floor is too high, and their style of play is very suitable for cup competitions."

Unlike Kaka, Xavi is more optimistic about the German team. Although Germany is not one of the favorites to win this World Cup, their floor is very high. If they are lucky enough to draw a team they like, they could potentially reach the semi-finals or even the final.

"Lin, who do you think will win the championship?"

After discussing it for a while, everyone looked at Lin Feng in unison.

"I think it should be Spain! Their midfield is clearly stronger than other teams. As the saying goes, whoever controls the midfield controls the game. I think Spain has a better chance!"

While this explanation was somewhat convincing, it wasn't enough to convince everyone, and the discussion remained heated.

The five candidates, who should have been at each other's throats, actually got along so harmoniously.

This scene was captured on camera by a German journalist at the scene and became the front page headline of Bild the next day, with the headline: "The Five Tigers of Football!"
After the report was sent back to China, Chinese fans borrowed a name from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and renamed it the "Five Tigers of Football".

Anyone who could possess all five of these top-tier players would practically be unstoppable in the entire football world! (End of Chapter)