After Paris Saint-Germain was removed from the list, I led England to victory!

On November 14, 2022, Qatar, a rich desert country on the Persian Gulf, became the center of global attention.

Despite the ongoing controversies and discussions, the World Cup is unstoppable, and the football extravaganza is about to begin here.

Doha International Airport.

Flights from all over the world landed in droves, carrying 32 dream teams and countless passionate fans.

Members of the England national team filed off one of the chartered planes from the UK.

They were dressed in sharp suits, their faces showing a mixture of relaxation and anticipation.

Leading the pack was none other than the current captain of England, the only star player, Yan Yuan.

Unlike the familiar environment of regular club matches.

The atmosphere of the World Cup is unique; it is the highest stage for national honor. Even for Yan Yuan, who has already accumulated numerous honors, every time he embarks on the World Cup journey, his heart is still filled with excitement and awe.

He led his team through a special passage, with Qatar's unique skyline visible through the windows, where modern buildings gleamed in the sunlight.

The team has checked into a top-tier luxury hotel in downtown Doha, which has been booked by the English Football Association as the national team's base camp during the tournament.

The national team has very strict discipline, from the start of the competition until the team is eliminated or ultimately wins the championship.

All players must act as a team, eat and live together, and are not allowed to leave the team without permission, let alone spend the night outside with their families.

This is to ensure absolute focus and team cohesion.

That's why this short, precious free time before the competition starts is especially valuable.

Yan Yuan's family members, Lin Jianwei, his parents, and his parents-in-law, arrived in Qatar that evening.

Yan Yuan had already meticulously arranged everything. He had booked the presidential suite on the top floor of the same hotel so that he could spend as much time as possible with them during the limited few days they had.

When my family arrived, the city lights were already on.

Yan Yuan waited anxiously in the hotel lobby. When he saw those familiar and friendly faces appear behind the revolving door, he immediately went to greet them.

"Dad, Mom! Weiwei!" Yan Yuan's face broke into a genuine smile as he hugged his family tightly. Then, he naturally put his arm around Lin Jianwei's shoulder and looked her over carefully.

"You must be exhausted from the journey?"

Lin Jianwei answered shyly.

"Hehe, I'm not tired at all, I'm having a lot of fun!"

"Not tired at all! Just thinking about coming to see you play in the World Cup makes all the distance worthwhile!" Lin's mother said eagerly, her eyes filled with pride for her son-in-law and daughter.

Aunt Yan held Lin Jianwei's hand and looked Yan Yuan up and down with a smile.

"Son, you look a bit stronger, but you seem to have lost weight. The training for the competition must be too strenuous, right?"

Yan Yuan smiled and shook his head.

"Mom, I'm in great shape, I'm feeling really fit."

After exchanging pleasantries, Yan Yuan led everyone to the hotel's top floor via a private elevator.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, even the two families, who had seen a lot in the world, couldn't help but murmur in amazement at the luxury before them.

The rooftop restaurant features a full glass curtain wall design, offering a 360-degree panoramic view of Doha's dazzling nightscape.

The deep blue waters of the Persian Gulf shimmered under the moonlight and city lights, while in the distance, numerous stadiums newly built for the World Cup were scattered like pearls.

The interior is decorated in the most luxurious way, with crystal chandeliers reflecting dazzling light, and the smooth marble floor reflecting people's shadows. Waiters in well-tailored suits move about silently.

Yan Yuan had booked a window seat with an excellent view.

After taking their seats, Lin Jianwei, Lin's mother, and Yan's mother were immediately captivated by the beautiful scenery. They excitedly took out their phones and started taking photos and selfies from various angles.

"Come on, come on, Lao Lin, take a picture of the three of us!" Lin's mother called out.

"Old Yan, come here too, use my phone, the night mode works really well!" Yan's mother also directed.

The two fathers smiled and took the phone, acting as impromptu photographers, patiently helping their wives and daughters find the best angles.

Lin Jianwei and Yan Yuan posed for photos in front of different backgrounds, their smiles radiant.

While the ladies were busy "checking in"...

Yan Yuan, Lin's father, and Yan's father finally had the opportunity to sit down, sip the premium Arabic coffee served by the waiter, and chat leisurely.

"Tsk tsk, this place... it's really built with money." Lin's father looked around, shook his head with a sigh, and said in a low voice to Yan Yuan and Yan's father,

"You have no idea how much real money Qatar has invested in this World Cup."

Mr. Yan nodded in agreement: "I've heard about it, it's an astronomical figure. Just these seven or eight brand-new, top-notch stadiums must have cost tens of billions of US dollars, right? And then there's the supporting subway, airport, hotels... It's said that the total investment exceeds 2200 billion US dollars! The total cost of all previous World Cups can't compare to this one."

Lin's father took over the conversation, recounting the details as if they were his own treasures.

"That's right. The key is that a lot of infrastructure is built in the desert, which makes it more difficult and costly. Look at Lusail Nova, a city built almost from scratch, just for the final. And this air conditioning system, I heard it can even cool the stadium, with it being 40 degrees outside and 20 degrees inside. This technology, this investment... it has truly opened the eyes of the world."

Yan Yuan listened quietly. He had heard about these macro data before, but hearing the two "veteran fans" discuss them in such detail made the experience even more intuitive.

That's the magic of the World Cup; it can instantly transform a city, a country, and attract the world's attention.

As they chatted, Lin's father suddenly remembered something and said to Yan Yuan with some pride.

"Oh, by the way, my dear son-in-law, I have something to tell you. I brought that jersey you sent me before!"

"Oh? Which one?" Yan Yuan didn't react for a moment.

He has sent Lao Lin a lot of jerseys, including jerseys from his own club and jerseys from the national team.

"It's the same jersey you wore in your last World Cup qualifier this year, against Poland, the one where you played the entire match with the captain's armband! England number 7!" Mr. Lin's eyes lit up.

"I've kept it safe. I brought it to Qatar specifically for this trip. I'll wear it to cheer you on at the competition!"

Yan Yuan felt a warmth in his heart. That match was England playing Poland, and England won by 3 goals.

After the game, he carefully cleaned and tidied the commemorative jersey and sent it to his father, Lin, who was far away in China. He knew Lin would definitely like it.

Not to be outdone, Yan's father smiled and said...

"Hey Lin, you're not alone. I brought the jersey my son gave me that he wore in his final game! The two of us will be his number one cheerleaders!"

The three men exchanged knowing smiles; football had bound them together, a bond that transcended ordinary kinship.

The conversation naturally returned to football itself.

When discussing world football, it's hard for Chinese men to avoid mentioning the name they both love and hate: the Chinese national football team.

When it comes to the Chinese national football team...

The smiles of Yan's father and Lin's father, who had been so enthusiastic just moments before, gradually faded, and they both let out a long and heavy sigh.

"well……"

This sigh contains too many complex emotions: expectation, repeated disappointments, and a deep-seated helplessness.

"Sigh..." Lin's father sighed again, shook his head, and looked out the window at the dazzling but unfamiliar night view. His voice was somewhat low.

"It's another World Cup. Watching other countries' players battle it out on this top stage, our players... are probably at home right now, watching TV with their wives and kids, right?"

Yan's father's expression also became serious, and he tapped the table lightly with his fingers.

"Old Lin, we've been watching football for decades, ever since 01. We started looking forward to Fan Zhiyi, Sun Jihai, and Li Weifeng, thinking that was the beginning, but who would have thought... that would actually be the peak."

Now that we're getting further and further away from the World Cup finals, and our FIFA rankings are almost dropping out of the top ten in Asia, it's really... disheartening.

Lin's father chimed in.

"Yes, the Chinese national football team is getting worse and worse."

Yan Yuan listened silently, deeply sensing the disappointment in the hearts of the two fathers, these two old football fans. He put down his knife and fork and spoke earnestly.

"Dad, father-in-law, I understand how you feel. To be honest, I occasionally follow the national team's matches, and every time I see those... less-than-ideal results, I feel a little disappointed too."

Yan Yuan paused, his tone becoming somewhat complicated.

"To be honest, if... if our national football team had the ability to consistently qualify for the World Cup finals, even if it was just at the group stage level, the outcome when I chose which national team to represent might have been different from what I am now."

These words startled both Yan's father and Lin's father, and then a look of understanding and deeper regret flashed in their eyes.

They certainly understood what Yan Yuan meant.

Given Yan Yuan's talent and status, he was not without other options.

The final choice of England was certainly influenced by the practical consideration of growing up in England's youth training system and having a better competitive environment.

But deep down, there is also regret and helplessness regarding the Chinese team's lack of strength and inability to showcase their talents on the highest stage.

Things didn't go as planned; reality is just that cruel.

Lin's father seemed to want to lighten the somewhat heavy atmosphere, and asked with a mixture of curiosity and bitterness.

"Xiao Yan, you're one of the top players in the world now. From a professional perspective, if... I mean, if your current England team played a real match against our current national team, with both sides giving it their all, how many goals could you score?"

This is a very pointed and realistic question.

Yan Yuan did not answer immediately. He pondered for a moment, seemingly making a careful assessment.

The melodious music in the restaurant seemed to become clearer.

Lin Jianwei and the two mothers also stopped talking and looked over with concern.

Yan Yuan raised his head, his gaze honest and sincere, without the slightest hint of boasting or exaggeration, as if he were stating an objective fact.

"Dad, this is a harsh question, but I have to tell the truth. If the entire England team is in top form and takes this seriously, without holding back..."

Scoring in double digits is highly probable. I occasionally watch videos of the national team's matches, and I have a fairly clear understanding of the players' individual abilities, tactical execution, match pace, and intensity of competition. The gap is comprehensive, and... very large.

Although I was mentally prepared.

But when Yan Yuan calmly uttered the words "two digits," it still struck Yan's father and Lin's father like a heavy hammer.

Old Lin and Old Yan remained silent for a moment, their faces filled with desolation and an indescribable mix of pity for their misfortune and anger at their lack of resistance.

"Sigh..." Yan's father sighed again, raising his drink glass as if trying to suppress the pent-up emotions in his heart.

"When will this end? We don't expect the national football team to win the European Cup or compete for the World Cup like your England team. We just hope that we can enter the World Cup finals in a fair and square manner, show our faces on the world stage, and let us old guys cheer for the national team one more time in our lifetime. That would be enough for us."

Lin's father nodded heavily, a faint but unwavering hope rekindling in his eyes.

"Old Yan is right! I refuse to believe that such a big country like ours can't find eleven people who can play football! One day, one day we'll qualify again!"

Looking at the almost stubborn expectation in the eyes of his two fathers, Yan Yuan was filled with mixed emotions.

He nodded solemnly.

"Dad, father-in-law, I also believe that day will come. As long as the foundation of football is solid, youth training is strong, and we are on the right track, there will always be hope."

Dinner continued in a complex mood, a blend of family warmth and the heavy reality of football.

Doha outside the window is still brightly lit, foreshadowing the upcoming global carnival.

For the family at the dinner table, especially the three men who deeply love football, this night was filled with the joy of family reunion, but also with a deep longing and anticipation for China's long-awaited World Cup dream on the distant green field.

Chinese football fans all dream of a strong football nation.

However, for Chinese football today, this dream remains as distant as a star in the sky.

For Yan Yuan, all he can do is give it his all and shine in the upcoming matches.

Not only for the Three Lions, but also for all those who care about him and support him, and perhaps, to some extent, to fulfill the dream of countless Chinese fans about experiencing the pinnacle of football.

After the family dinner, Yan Yuan escorted his family back to their suite and gave them detailed instructions on the precautions for watching the game and the local customs of Qatar.

When they parted, Lin Jianwei hugged him tightly and whispered something in his ear.

"Keep going, sweetie! Don't think about anything else, we'll always support you!"

"Thank you, darling, I'll do my best."

Yan Yuan hugged Lin Jianwei tightly, kissed her forehead, and then hugged his parents and in-laws one by one to say goodbye.

As we left the hotel and got into the car to return to the national team's residence.

Yan Yuan glanced back at the towering hotel rooftop one last time, where he could see his family waving from behind the window.

He took a deep breath, carefully storing the warmth of family in his heart, and his eyes regained their sharpness and focus.

The World Cup is about to begin.