Lead Ronaldo to a sweeping victory in the USA-Canadian World Cup!

The same night.

Messi, on the other hand, is completely different.

Messi is incredibly talented on the field, but becoming a football king requires more than just talent; hard work and sweat are equally important.

However, Messi doesn't sculpt his physical abilities to the extreme like Ronaldo, but rather uses his unwavering belief in not being mediocre to fight against the passage of time.

Messi's focus is more on refining his technique, increasing his football intelligence and rhythm to compensate for the effects of age. He wants to protect what he has already achieved.

Neither of them was right or wrong.

It's just a difference in personality.

That night, Messi also broke with convention.

He usually goes to bed early every night to ensure he gets eight or nine hours of sleep.

But tonight, for the first time ever, he couldn't fall asleep.

Since he couldn't sleep, he went to the hotel lawn by himself and asked the assistant coach to bring him a few balls.

Then he kicked the ball towards a spot about thirty meters away.

The assistant coach of the Argentine national team was called a ball boy, but he dared not complain in the slightest. After all, Argentina's glorious dynasty was closely related to the man in front of him.

Messi has given Argentina a level they shouldn't have reached.

He was just very curious: why was Messi practicing his world-class goals when he had nothing better to do?

Moreover, every time Messi practices and accurately shoots the ball into the goal, he shakes his head in dissatisfaction.

He used a different outside of his foot to chip the ball with each shot.

He asked curiously, "Mr. Messi, you've never practiced shooting from this distance before, why are you practicing it all the time now?"

Messi said, "I wanted to replicate the S-shaped trajectory of the ball, but..."

He's not particularly good at that kind of shooting.

So after repeated failures to replicate it, he had to admit that the Portuguese kid was more talented than him.

The assistant coach laughed and said, "That's not your forte. If you let him dribble past people and shoot consecutively, no matter how talented he is, he can't compare to you, so what's the big deal?"

"You're the only one in the football world who can create the Messi corridor, and that's enough."

Messi frowned and said, "Would you believe me if I said I had a dream?"

The assistant coach was taken aback.

Messi recalled, "I dreamt last night about that killer shot that sealed the victory for our Pampas Eagles."

The assistant coach could only smile slightly and say, "It seems you're under too much pressure. Actually, you don't need to feel so much pressure. In this year's World Cup, Alvarez, Enzo, Romero, and Lisandro all performed very well. They are no weaker than that young man from Portugal. We will definitely be able to defend our championship glory."

Messi laughed and said, "Of course I believe it, but... I always feel that there is something unfathomable about that young man. He is growing too fast, and he always comes up with something new in every game. I am a little unsure whether the match against France is his limit."

The assistant coach wanted to say something more.

But Messi yawned; his biological clock was already telling him it was time to rest.

He stepped back and unleashed a world-class right-footed shot.

The ball shot into the wall thirty meters away like an arrow, with a loud thud.

"Go to sleep, training will continue tomorrow."

After Messi finished speaking, he entered the hotel lobby.

Although he appeared calm on the surface, it was impossible for him not to be nervous inside.

Even though they've already won the World Cup once, who could refuse another one?

But he can't show it, after all, he is the leader of Argentina. If he shows nervousness, what about the other players?

Cristiano Ronaldo should be the same in this respect, right?

-----------------

"What? The Chinese Football Association called?"

The day before the competition.

Old Thomas received a call from the Portuguese Football Federation.

"The opposing football association has officially extended an invitation to us, wanting to hold a friendly match between our national teams," an official from the Portuguese Ministry of Sports said happily.

Old Thomas: "..."

Chinese national football team?

Friendly match?

With whom?

Five Shield Legion?

Are you kidding me?

Are they really not afraid of being kicked to death by the Five Shields Legion?

As a shrewd person, old Thomas knew at a glance what the other party was up to. They just wanted to use the friendly match to ride on the popularity of Ronaldo and Jiang Feng and attract some investment.

Could it be that they really want to exchange ball skills?

If it really comes down to exchanging skills, then Thomas can only say they were very brave.

The Five Shields team is now ranked second in the World Cup standings, boasting Cristiano Ronaldo, the world's top scorer, a strong contender for this year's Ballon d'Or, and Jiang Feng, who has secured the title of this year's World Cup Best Young Player.

If both sides were to play freely, it would definitely be a bloody battle.

Why is the Chinese national football team organizing a friendly match at this time?

He could hear the sounds of the other side calculating their next move even from America.

I really don't know where their confidence comes from.

"We can't decide this. You should let the players decide for themselves. The key is Jiang Feng. Our contract with Jiang Feng only covers this World Cup."

"Strictly speaking, after the World Cup, he was no longer under our jurisdiction, and we could not force him to participate in friendly matches."

Old Thomas had done the research before.

Before participating in the World Cup, Jiang Feng played a football match in China, but it didn't go well. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to get this opportunity.

Should we send him back to China to play a friendly match now?

Will they agree?

Jiang Feng's current position in the Five Shields Legion is of paramount importance, and we must take his thoughts into consideration.

"I know, but they're offering too much," the Portuguese representative said. "If possible, try to persuade them to hold a friendly match right after the World Cup ends; it would definitely be a grand event."

Thomas said, "The final is just around the corner. Don't disturb the players' lives. We'll talk about everything after the World Cup."

The voice on the other end of the phone said, "I understand, I understand. Just remember this. If the friendly match is successful, you will receive a generous bonus."

Old Thomas hung up the phone.

I was speechless.

Friendly matches may seem like friendly matches, but there are also human relationships to consider on the field. After all, you're paying people to participate, so you can't be too harsh or cause a massacre. Otherwise, how can the fans of China be happy?

That's their territory.

If you really thrash the other team, will the Five Shields be able to return home safely?

I'm afraid I'll get yelled at to death by the fans.

It's fair to say that Thomas is overthinking things.

The finals haven't even started yet, and people are already eyeing the Five Shields Legion.

This matter should be left to Old Thomas for now; we absolutely cannot let it affect the players' mood, especially Jiang Feng.

Jiang Feng's form determines Ronaldo's goal tally.

Cristiano Ronaldo's goal tally directly determined whether Portugal could win.