Football: Starting from the 05 World Youth Championship

David Seaman: I work 8 a.m.!
That Carlos guy doesn't know how to respect the elderly and care for the young. He tried to trick and ambush me, an old man who's almost 50. He has no sportsmanship!

Roberto Carlos hasn't retired yet, but he's been retired for six or seven years.

Having been away from professional training for a long time, Seaman's competitive level has declined drastically, and he is now less than 30% of his peak strength.

Compared to the opposing goalkeeper Van der Sar, Beckham's friends team was clearly at a disadvantage.

When Carlos scored, the fans in the stadium started to boo:
"Lin Feng, score one!"

"Let's see who's the real heavy artilleryman!"

Lin Feng didn't pay much attention at first; it was just a charity match, why take it so seriously?

What kind of hero bullies a group of elderly people in front of so many others?
He didn't want to be too high-profile, but he couldn't resist the opportunity being handed to him!

In the 52nd minute of the second half, Beckham's Friends team won a free kick in the attacking third. With so many free-kick specialists on the team, Lin Feng was already standing at the back and had no intention of going for the ball.

But Beckham insisted on giving him the opportunity:
"Lin, go ahead and play. Remember to give them a surprise. Good luck, I believe in you!"

Before Lin Feng could react, he shoved the soccer ball into Lin Feng's arms.

"Go, Lin, let's see your performance!"

"Go for it! Let them see how powerful we are!"

"Let's use Carlos's move from just now and show them what it means to bombard a door with heavy artillery!"

The other teammates also took the opportunity to cheer, all wanting to see Lin Feng show off his skills.

Lin Feng was speechless. The opposing goalkeeper seemed to be your teammate. Did you really want to see me beat him?
However, since the atmosphere has been built up to this point, it wouldn't be appropriate to refuse now.

So Lin Feng went along with it and accepted Beckham's offer.

Seeing him carrying the soccer ball to the penalty spot, the International All-Star team visibly tensed up.

Van der Sar himself, in particular, has begun to seriously direct his teammates in forming a human wall:
"Ballack, you stand in the middle; Vieira, you stand to his left; Ronaldinho, you stand to his right; Zidane, you'd better make do and lie on the ground!"

Zidane: Meow meow meow? I'm 1.85 meters tall, and you're making me lie on the ground? It feels like you're targeting me!

Van der Sar was joking with Zidane that Lin Feng's free kicks are usually high balls, and he rarely uses low shots.

So Zidane ultimately did not lie down on the grass.

Ronaldo, Zidane, Ronaldinho, Ballack, Vieira...

Seeing the wall of players formed by the World All-Stars, fans were momentarily stunned. Many people were reminded of the wall of players that Real Madrid formed back in the day, which was worth hundreds of millions and could be called the most expensive wall in football.

The human wall that stands before Lin Feng now is no less formidable than the one he faced back then.

Unfortunately, those superstars from back then have all grown old!

The referee blew his whistle, and Lin Feng began his run-up.

He didn't even glance at the wall of players blocking the goal; his gaze went past the wall and locked onto the right side of the goal.

With a muffled thud, accompanied by flying grass clippings and dirt, the ball soared into the sky like a cannonball, grazing the edge of the human wall and passing over everyone's heads.

Van der Sar noticed Lin Feng's earlier gesture of looking towards the goal, so he chose to dive to his right.

His judgment was correct; Lin Feng did not use any deceptive tactics and genuinely chose to shoot to the right of the goal.

Even though Van der Sar played his best today and gave it his all, he still couldn't save the ball.

With a sharp whoosh, the ball hurtled towards the top right corner of the goal at incredible speed.

After the ball entered the net, Van der Sar's outstretched hand finally arrived, blocking the shot in that direction.

That's too fast, it's just too fast!

The ball's speed gave the goalkeeper absolutely no chance!

If it weren't Van der Sar, who is nearly two meters tall, standing in front of the goal, but a shorter goalkeeper, he wouldn't even have a chance to make a save!
Van der Sar, who had gotten up from the ground, glanced at Lin Feng with some apprehension.

This guy is a monster. I've conceded more than five free kicks to him since I joined Manchester United!

I feel like I've never conceded so many free kicks to any single player in my entire life!

When the ball flew into the net, the fans in the stadium first gasped in surprise, followed by deafening applause and cheers.

"Lin Feng is awesome!"

"Holy crap, what kind of magic ball is that?!"

"That was incredible! The speed was definitely faster than Carlos's shot just now!"

"Those two free kicks from the sides were enough to make the ticket price worthwhile!"

Many fans bought tickets because of the names of these veteran stars, but they didn't expect to see such high-quality goals.

Both Carlos's goal and Lin Feng's free kick were a feast for their eyes.

Goals of this quality are rare, even in league matches and Champions League games!

"Pretty!"

Ferguson led the applause from the sidelines, even though Lin Feng had been playing cautiously throughout the game and hadn't tried to steal the spotlight.

However, he still noticed Lin Feng's extraordinary nature through some details.

The fact that Lin Feng could calmly receive the ball under pressure from both Ballack and Vieira and repeatedly deliver key passes is enough to demonstrate how outstanding his physical strength and ball control skills are.

And that free kick just now proved that he has the ability to break through the deadlock with his individual strength when the team is behind or needs a goal.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the main competition, so there was no way to test the upper limit of Lin Feng's abilities.

These discoveries alone were enough to make Ferguson covet Lin Feng.

He is now increasingly regretful that if he hadn't refused when Dong Fangzhuo's agent recommended Lin Feng to him, but instead chose to sign him, Manchester United's new dynasty might have already been successfully established after the Class of '92!

The final score of the match was 4-4, after Lin Feng helped his team tie the score.

Ronaldinho used his signature "bull tail" dribble to break into the penalty area and create a goal.

Zidane then sent a long pass to Ronaldo, who used his signature pendulum dribble inside the penalty area to shake off the defender and score again.

Seeing Ronaldo and Ronaldinho unleash their signature moves, the fans cheered excitedly.

Although he was past his prime, Ronaldinho still executed his flank maneuver very smoothly when the physical intensity was moderate and the defenders didn't put too much pressure on him.

But Ronaldo's form declined even faster. His increased weight and decreased flexibility after his knee injury made his pendulum dribble look somewhat comical.

However, the fans at the scene did not laugh at him; instead, they stood up and applauded and encouraged him.

They had witnessed Luo Yonghao's peak and knew how powerful he once was. Therefore, they wouldn't mock his clumsiness in his twilight years.

Despite suffering so many injuries, Ronaldo's perseverance in making a comeback and his love for football are truly moving.

The World All-Star team mainly relies on the performances of veteran players, while the Beckham Friends team mainly relies on newcomers.

After the opponent scored two goals in a row, widening the score gap, Lin Feng stepped up.

First, in a counter-attack, he used his speed to break through the opponent's defense and scored a goal himself.

Then, during a corner kick, he delivered the ball directly to Ferdinand's head, assisting him to score and equalize the score.

Barak and Vieira exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.

This guy has become even stronger than he was a few years ago.

When we first faced him, I was already finding it difficult to contain him.

Now, his skills are more comprehensive and his body is stronger. The two men who have passed their peak are no match for him in a one-on-one fight, and they can't even gain an advantage in a two-on-one fight.

The two did not use their full strength at first, but after realizing that they could not restrain Lin Feng, they secretly exerted their strength, wanting to dampen his arrogance and make this young man less haughty.

Unfortunately, even when they were serious, they couldn't completely restrain the other side.

This made the two of them realize that they were really getting old, and there was no way to deny it!
Both players are veterans born in 1976 and are 34 years old this year, which is the end of their professional careers for a professional player.

After the age of thirty, the body inevitably begins to decline, and the rate of decline accelerates with each passing year.

The 34-year-old Vieira clearly feels that his form this year is not as good as before, and given his current form, it is basically impossible for him to make the squad for this French national team.

So last summer, Vieira made the decision to leave Inter Milan and accept an offer from Manchester City, the rising stars of the Premier League.

On the one hand, his current form no longer meets the requirements of top clubs; on the other hand, Manchester City is offering him too much. With only a few years left to play, he needs to earn more for his retirement.

As for Barak, as the King of the Five Regions, he still has many unfulfilled wishes, so he will not easily admit to being old.

He still wants to fight for it, at least until after the World Cup with the German team before considering retiring from the national team, leaving Chelsea and returning home to retire.

This German team is quite strong. While I'm still able to play, I'll lead these young players for one last push. Win or lose, I'll have no regrets!
The final score of the match was 4-4, a result that satisfied both sides.

For the fans who watched this match, all eight goals were spectacular, making it well worth the ticket price!
After the game, the players from both teams hugged each other and exchanged jerseys.

As a junior, Lin Feng didn't have much interaction with many of them, but unexpectedly, quite a few people wanted to exchange jerseys with him.

Ballack, Vieira, Ronaldinho, and even Zidane all approached him.

Considering that Zidane has already retired and there will be very few opportunities to face him in the future, and that he had never exchanged jerseys with him before, Lin Feng ultimately chose Zidane.

"Good job, young man! Keep up the good work and strive to leave your mark on Real Madrid's history!"

Zidane was very satisfied with receiving the jersey, patted Lin Feng on the shoulder, and encouraged him.

He is very optimistic about Lin Feng's future at Real Madrid. If he doesn't choose to transfer and leave, Zidane believes that his future achievements will definitely surpass Di Stéfano and make him the greatest player in Real Madrid's history!
If Zidane can see it, how could Real Madrid's management not see it?

Lin Feng had just returned to Madrid after participating in the charity match when he received a call from his agent, Mendes.

"Real Madrid has put forward new conditions, demanding that you complete a contract extension before the summer transfer window opens!"

Lin Feng had received several similar messages before.

He's not in a hurry anyway. Given the current rate of salary inflation in the football world, the later he signs, the higher his salary will be. So why is he in such a rush?

"Don't be so quick to reject them, Real Madrid is showing great sincerity this time!"

On the other end of the phone, Mendes seemed to have guessed what Lin Feng wanted to say, so he spoke first.

"Oh? What's their sincerity?"

"They are willing to double your annual salary to 1300 million euros per year, on the condition that you give up all your image rights!"

On the other end of the phone, Mendes seemed to be breathing rapidly, lacking his usual composure.

An annual salary of 1300 million!

If this figure is true, then Lin Feng will receive the highest salary in football today!

Although he knew Lin Feng deserved the price, the number still made him breathe heavily and his heart race when it was placed in front of him.

Real Madrid may be rich, but they have never promised such a high salary to any player before!

Real Madrid has always been careful to maintain a balance within the team when it comes to controlling salaries.

To avoid dissatisfaction among other players due to excessive salary differences between players, which could lead to locker room conflicts.

But they broke this tradition with Lin Feng.

There's no way around it; Lin Feng's performance is just too outstanding. If they don't give him a raise, Real Madrid's management is genuinely afraid he'll be lured away by other teams.

Didn't you see the way Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was eyeing Lin Feng with such lust?
This guy tried to make an offer to Real Madrid last year, and he'll definitely make another one this year.

Moreover, as Lin Feng's contract with Real Madrid gradually expires, more and more top clubs will be eyeing him.

If they don't renew the contract, Real Madrid's management will really lose sleep.

Is the annual salary of 1300 million yuan pre-tax or post-tax?

Spain has a high tax rate, so an annual salary of 1300 million euros sounds impressive, but if it's just pre-tax annual salary, then that figure translates to only 750 million euros after tax, which is only 650 million euros more than his current 100 million euros.

For a mere million, Lin Feng would rather not get a raise than be crowned the highest-paid player in football.

Others may covet this hat, but he doesn't.

"I wouldn't even make this call to you if it were before or after tax!"

1300 million after tax?
That's roughly equivalent to 2500 million euros before tax!
Is Real Madrid out of their minds? Are they playing this hard?

Hearing this number, even the usually composed Lin Feng couldn't help but be tempted.

I don't care about empty fame, but this money is real.

Compared to his current annual salary, Real Madrid has doubled it. Who wouldn't be tempted by that?

"What's the annual salary in the contract? It's not a long-term contract of more than five years, is it?"

Despite the tempting amount of the contract, Lin Feng remained calm.

He understood that there's no such thing as a free lunch, and the higher the price offered, the more restrictions there would be.

"You guessed it, they want to sign you to an 8-year contract, extending until 2018!" (End of Chapter)