Football: Starting from the Ronaldinho template

Chapter 359 World Footballer of the Year
Beep-beep-beep!
As the final whistle pierced the sky above Etihad Stadium, the approaching sunset cast its glow, turning Manchester red.

Manchester City have now gone five league games without a win against Arsenal.

On the field, Qin Ming hummed a little tune as he walked towards the referee team and took the game ball from the head referee.

The number of goals scored in this match has reached 22.

His goal-scoring efficiency surprised even himself, considering the league is not even halfway through. It looks like he could break 50 goals this season.

There aren't many national team matches.

But next year, not only will there be the World Cup, but less than a month later, the Asian Games will also begin.

He will definitely participate in the Asian Games men's football event.

After all, this isn't like the U23 Asian Cup. Although participating would be meaningful, since it could secure an Olympic spot, it wouldn't quite suit his status.

Moreover, January happens to be a crucial time in the second half of the league season.

After thinking it over haphazardly for a while, Qin Ming walked over to De Bruyne, patted him on the shoulder, and didn't say anything to comfort him.

He knew that Dingding was a very stubborn person.

They won't give up easily. Even after losing so many times, they'll definitely put in their best effort for the next match.

Because Qin Ming himself was the same.

At the post-match press conference, when asked about the FIFA awards ceremony a few days later, Qin Ming humbly stated that he did not want to comment too much on the FIFA World Player of the Year award before the voting data was released.

And right after this match ended.

Major sports media outlets around the world have selected their top 100 athletes of the year.

For some reason, Marca, the mouthpiece of Real Madrid, ranked Messi first with 46% of the vote after 62925 readers voted, Qin Ming ranked second with 35% of the vote, and Ronaldo ranked third with 20% of the vote.

Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Neymar, Luka Modric, Isco, and others also received 1% or more of the vote.

Marca's commentary was succinct: Messi surpassing Ronaldo is a manifestation of individual performance overshadowing team honors; the debate surrounding Messi lies in whether he has become the greatest superstar in football history.

In the rankings by the British football magazine "442", Qin Ming has overtaken Messi to rank first, with Ronaldo ranked second and Messi ranked third.

The Guardian, ESPN, and 442 are similar.

Their comment was: Qin's uniqueness lies in the fact that he can score countless goals like a striker, become an assist king like an attacking midfielder, and also become a breakthrough king like a winger. He was born for football and doesn't need to prove anything. When he stands on the green field, he is a sight to behold in himself.

At Oxford Circus Underground Station in London's West End, countless people wearing Arsenal jerseys headed toward Argyll Street.

Tonight.

The Pallas Theatre will soon host the FIFA 2017 awards ceremony.

The theater was originally located on the site of the Argyll Palace, which was demolished in the 19th century. Under the lights, you can still see the historical traces left on the white marble.

Just this February, the Pallas Theatre hosted a performance by the "Culture China - Spring Festival Overseas" art troupe, featuring programs such as the dance "Spring Colors" and the Sichuan Opera "Face Changing".

The decorations included traditional cultural elements such as red lanterns and Chinese knots.

Today, in addition to the FIFA logo and posters of nominated players, some Chinese elements have also appeared.

It seems to be hinting at something to people.

As Arsenal's home ground, the cheers from the fans when Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, and others take the field are rather lackluster.

But when Qin Ming appeared in a black suit...

Whoosh! The cheers that erupted from the scene seemed to shatter the dark clouds in the night sky, and even the cold air seemed to heat up.

Qin Ming smiled and waved to the fans.

CCTV broadcasted the entire event live tonight. He Wei sat in the studio watching the screen, a complex smile on his face.

"A little boy from China once dreamed of becoming the best player in the world."

"I remember the first time I saw him was when Wolfsburg played against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. It was three years later that a Chinese player was on the Bundesliga pitch again."

"In the blink of an eye, he was standing at the FIFA awards ceremony."

He Wei glanced down at the note and thought that now was not the time.

Have to wait.

The Pallas Theatre was brightly lit. Qin Ming arrived at his seat, which was similar to the UEFA awards ceremony. He sat in the first row, first seat, next to Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi.

The two seemed to be in good spirits today, which suggests that the team has been performing well recently.

I just don't know if we'll have a chance to face each other in this year's Champions League.

Since Qin Ming joined Arsenal, he has faced Barcelona in the Champions League every year. He originally thought that Barcelona, ​​being a second-tier team, would be drawn into the same group as them this year.

I didn't expect to draw Sevilla.

Pity.

Arsenal used to have many nemesis players: Mourinho's Chelsea, three years at Bayern Munich, five years at Barcelona, ​​but now nobody mentions them anymore.

Arsenal, on the other hand, has become a nemesis for many teams.

Qin Ming exchanged glances with Ronaldo and Messi, and nodded slightly as a greeting.

FIFA is more fond of putting on shows than UEFA. The show started with a dance performance, and then the host was Idris Elba, a very famous British actor who played Heimdall in Thor and also appeared in Ghost Rider 2, Prometheus, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and many other films.

Idris Elba delivered a stand-up routine that drew enthusiastic applause.

The awards ceremony then officially began, with the first award being the Puskás Award, awarded to South African goalkeeper Masuluk for his bicycle kick, to Venezuelan U17 women's team player Castellanos for his center-circle lob, and to Mandzukic for his long-range shot.

"Qin, which goal do you think deserves the award the most?"

Idris Elba looked down at the audience.

He is an Arsenal fan.

The kind that's absolutely loyal.

The West Ham United striker previously stated on social media that he would perform a special celebration after scoring a goal at the Emirates Stadium.

In an interview with Sky Sports, he said, "He said he wanted to prepare a celebration? My answer is don't bother, you're not going to score."

He even publicly criticized Tottenham Hotspur.

"If Tottenham had won the title, I would have felt unwell, even vomited. But thankfully we had the Tottenham killer; I still can't forget those seven goals at White Hart Lane."

He recently joined forces with Puma and is preparing to play for Arsenal in a new short film.

This made him extremely excited.

“Well, every ball was amazing, making it hard for me to choose, but I voted for Masuluk.”

Qin Ming spoke the truth.

That bicycle kick was truly beautiful, especially considering it was performed by the goalkeeper.

"It seems we think the same thing."

Idris Elba then asked a few more people, Harry Kane thought the South African goalkeeper's goal was memorable, while Ronaldo voted for Mandzukic's goal.

This year's Puskás Award was ultimately awarded to South African goalkeeper Masuluk.

This was also the result of the October vote. After Uruguayan star Diego Forlán presented the awards, it was time for the Men's Football Coach of the Year award.

The nominees are Wenger, Allegri, and Zidane.

Ultimately, Wenger unsurprisingly beat the other two coaches to win the honor.

Wenger looked quite emotional holding the trophy.

In the last two seasons, not only has Arsenal swept up numerous honors, but he has also won countless awards.

Premier League Manager of the Season, UEFA Manager of the Year, and now Men's Manager of the Year—just three years ago, he was being called out of the team by Arsenal's extreme fans. In the blink of an eye, things have changed.

"Mr. Wenger's extensive knowledge and passion for football make him one of the most respected figures in the football world."

Infantino said, "He dedicated his life to football."

Everyone, even Sir Alex Ferguson, considered Wenger worthy of respect after leaving Manchester United.

He made this comment in a recent interview.

Arsène's work at Arsenal has demonstrated his talent, professionalism, and determination. Many Premier League managers don't last more than one or two seasons, and his long tenure at a club of Arsenal's size is an extraordinary achievement.

Qin Ming clapped softly from below the stage.

He and the professor can be said to have helped each other achieve success. Back when he first came to Arsenal, the professor gave him the highest tactical authority, and even the star player Sanchez was moved to the right wing.

He did not disappoint.

Later, Arsenal's tactical system became more and more perfect, and they played more and more brilliantly.

Beautiful football has truly become Arsenal's trademark.

The third award is the newly added Goalkeeper of the Year award this year, with Neuer, Cech, and Buffon all vying for the title. When Danish legend and former Manchester United player, Schmeichel, appeared, he gave Buffon a strange look.

Seventeen years ago, Buffon was a highly sought-after goalkeeper in the football world.

Even after so many years, it still is.

Even more resilient than himself, Schmeichel ultimately presented the award to 39-year-old Buffon. Afterwards, a heartwarming video showing much more than just football was played, leading into the fourth award presented that evening: the Best Fan of the Year.

Fans of Copenhagen FC (Denmark), Celtic FC (Scottish Premiership), and Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga) were among those shortlisted.

This century-old Scottish club was founded in 1887 and is now 130 years old.

Celtic's trophy list includes 48 Scottish Premiership titles, 37 Scottish FA Cup titles, 16 Scottish League Cup titles, and one Champions League title.

However, fans online started criticizing him.

Because Celtic fans have repeatedly caused trouble in domestic and European competitions in the past, the club has been fined a total of £15 over the past six years for fan misconduct.

Last month, during a Champions League group stage match, a fan stormed onto the pitch and attempted to attack Mbappe. Today, Celtic were fined £8900 by UEFA for this incident.

I wonder if UEFA did this on purpose?

Suddenly the screen went dark, and a black and white image appeared, showing a young Pelé running on the green field.

This is a birthday greeting for Pelé.

Then Gullit announced that the Women's Coach of the Year award went to Salina Wegmann, who led the Netherlands women's national team to the Women's European Championship.

The sixth award was the Fair Play Award, which was presented by Desailly to Francis Kone, the Togolese striker who made a crucial save during a match.

The seventh award is the FIFA World XI.

With the help of award presenters Lampard and David Suaso, the FIFA World XI of the year was announced.

Goalkeeper: Buffon

Defenders: Bellerin, Bonucci, Van Dijk, Marcelo
Midfielders: Modric, Kante, Cazorla
Forwards: Messi, Ronaldo, Qin Ming

Arsenal occupied four spots, with Messi and Ronaldo both being selected for the 11th time, and Qin Ming joined them in receiving the award.

How does Qin feel about being selected for the All-NBA Team?

Idris Elba asked with a chuckle.

"feel good."

Qin Ming was selected last year, but at that time, he was a supporting actor.

Today is different.

My mood was naturally different too.

Idris Elba then asked the other players, and Buffon chuckled and said, "Hopefully I'll still be standing here next year."

The eighth award is the Best Female Athlete Award.

That is, the World Footballer of the Year.

Award presenter Hidetoshi Nakata presented the trophy to Martens.

Finally, it's time for the grand finale award, the FIFA World Player of the Year, which is the most anticipated prize by countless people.

"Looking back at the past FIFA World Player of the Year awards, each one has a different and fascinating story behind them."

"Roberto Baggio's penalty tragedy, Zidane's spectacular goal, Ronaldo's pendulum swing. After Kaká won the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2007, Messi and Ronaldo monopolized the award."

"In the past nine years, Ronaldo has won it four times, and Messi has won it five times."

"Tonight——"

He Wei nervously looked at the screen, seeing Pelé, Maradona, and Infantino, while simultaneously casting his gaze toward the first seat in the first row below the audience.

"World Footballer of the Year!"

"Qin Ming!"

He Wei's tone suddenly rose.

The Pallas Theater also erupted in enthusiastic applause.

Qin Ming calmly enjoyed the praise from his peers and veterans, and rose to stand up under the spotlight, once again stepping onto the podium under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Then he received the FIFA World Player of the Year trophy from Maradona and Pelé.

Pele had just undergone surgery and wasn't feeling particularly well. He had originally planned to record a video to congratulate Qin Ming on his award.

But he still chose to come to the scene.

Because he saw the joy that football brings in Qin Ming.

Considering Pelé's health, Qin Ming didn't say much.

"Today is a great moment for me. I know I have fans all over the world, and I am very grateful for their support, as well as the help from my family, teammates and friends."

"I hope we can create more wonderful memories in the future."

Qin Ming smiled at the camera.

His unassuming demeanor did not diminish the explosion in the football world, especially in the CCTV sports channel's broadcast studio.

"At this moment, a young man from China stands where they once stood. We always ask, what is a legend?"

"The two award presenters standing next to Qin Ming are Maradona and Pelé!"

"The legend might be Maradona's white light as he dribbled past five players on the Mexican plateau!"

"Perhaps it was Pelé's incredible shot in the World Cup final, where he chipped the ball over the defender!"

"So, is Qin Ming a legendary player?"

"I don't know, and I won't comment. Let time tell!"

"But at least at this moment, he is the record holder for Premier League goals and other records, and the best number 10 in world football right now!"

"He has also set the bar and standards for future generations of players!"

"Just as he said, let's stay with him and create more wonderful memories!"

"at last!"

Congratulations to Qin Ming on becoming the 2017 FIFA World Player of the Year!

(End of this chapter)