The whistle blew — sharp, final.
Just like that, the match ended.
The roar of the Amsterdam Arena didn't fade. It rose.
On the scoreboard, the numbers stood frozen: Ajax 1 – 1 Barcelona.
Against all odds, Ajax had clawed their way back in the 90th minute. The crowd had come expecting pain and perhaps a narrow loss. What they got instead was a lifeline, forged from one final, miraculous run.
Yang Yang, once again, had saved them.
His goal — the 13th of his Champions League campaign — not only rescued the draw, but etched his name into the history books. With that strike, he surpassed Ruud van Nistelrooy's single-season record in the competition.
Unless Samuel Eto'o produced a hat-trick or more in the final, Yang Yang would finish the tournament as the UEFA Champions League top scorer. And at just nineteen, that achievement stood alongside his Eredivisie record as the crown of an extraordinary season.
The Amsterdam Arena erupted into a frenzy. Flags waved wildly. Flares lit up the evening sky. Fans shouted his name with a passion that bordered on reverence.
No one had expected this.
They had come prepared for a valiant defeat.
They left believing.
Yang Yang stood near the center circle, hands on hips, chest still heaving. He glanced up at the scoreboard, then let his gaze drift toward the Barcelona players.
He saw Ronaldinho — calm as ever, smiling, hand resting gently on Messi's head like a protective older brother. Messi looked the opposite — his face tight, his eyes fixed to the ground, chewing on disappointment.
Yang Yang hesitated only a moment before walking over.
He stretched out his hand with a polite smile. "Hi, Ronaldinho. Lionel."
Ronaldinho grinned instantly, his mood untouched by the final score. "You little devil…" he laughed, taking Yang Yang's hand and pulling him into a quick embrace. His warmth was genuine, his respect clear.
Whatever had happened during the match — tactical plans, personal frustrations — it stayed on the pitch.
Yang Yang turned to Messi next and extended his hand again.
Ronaldinho gave the Argentine a light nudge on the shoulder, a subtle reminder.
Messi lifted his head. He stared at Yang Yang for a beat — no smile, no scowl — and took the hand.
Then he said it quietly but firmly.
"Next time, I'll score."
Ronaldinho grinned with satisfaction and patted Messi's back, approving of the fire in his voice.
Losing wasn't the problem.
Every player loses.
What mattered was not losing the will to fight again.
Yang Yang nodded. "We'll definitely get another chance to compete."
He remembered a similar look in Messi's eyes back during the World Youth Championship final. Something intense. Something personal. He didn't know what had caused it — and he didn't really need to.
He welcomed it.
Challenges like this were fuel.
Before leaving, Yang Yang looked at the two again.
"One last thing. I won't be playing in the second leg because of the yellow card suspension. But don't underestimate Ajax. Even without me, they'll fight. So don't take that match lightly."
Ronaldinho's eyes sparkled. He nodded again, smiling his broad, iconic smile. "We won't."
Messi didn't speak. He just watched Yang Yang walk away, shoulders square, head high.
He had failed to score. Barcelona had failed to win. And he had failed — yet again — to outperform Yang Yang.
The second leg still offered a chance.
But it would be an Ajax without Yang Yang.
Still, Messi clenched his jaw. He wasn't done.
"I will beat you," he whispered in his mind.
Someday, somehow.
Ronaldinho caught the expression on Messi's face and smiled knowingly.
He admired them both — Yang Yang and Messi. He didn't fully understand what fueled their growing rivalry, but something told him it was only just beginning.
And if his instincts were right, Yang Yang might become the defining opponent of Messi's entire career.
...
...
Ajax's 1–1 draw with Barcelona sent shockwaves through the football world.
Within hours of the final whistle, the result was making headlines across Europe and beyond. On paper, Barcelona had been clear favourites — a superclub filled with stars, playing fluid, dominant football. Yet Ajax, young and unyielding, had held them. And not through luck, but by sheer defiance.
The football world took notice.
Ronaldinho was officially named UEFA's Man of the Match, having assisted Giuly's opening goal and dictated much of the first half with his signature flair and vision. But the media narrative wasn't his.
The spotlight belonged to Yang Yang.
With Ajax on the brink of a home defeat, he sprinted the length of the pitch in the final minute — an 80-meter solo counterattack — and calmly slotted the ball past Víctor Valdés to equalize. It wasn't just a goal. It was a statement.
Two teams had clashed with completely different styles. Barcelona showcased their elegant possession game. Ajax, drained and pragmatic, relied on a low block and explosive transitions. But both executed their plans with conviction.
And in the end, two players emerged above the rest: Ronaldinho and Yang Yang.
The global media praised both. But Yang Yang's name was on every front page, and his goal was already being dissected from every camera angle.
It wasn't just the 13th goal of his Champions League campaign, placing him firmly atop the scoring charts — it was also the goal that broke Ruud van Nistelrooy's long-standing record for most goals in a single Champions League season.
Only the final remained, and unless Eto'o delivered something extraordinary, the Golden Boot was Yang Yang's.
Still, it wasn't all celebration.
His yellow card accumulation meant he would miss the second leg at Camp Nou — a loss that Ajax fans and neutrals alike saw as deeply unfortunate. His brilliance in Amsterdam had sparked belief. Now, his absence cast a long shadow over the return fixture.
The world watched with both admiration and regret.
His solo run — blistering and fearless — became the image of the night.
But another figure was also under the spotlight: Lionel Messi.
During Yang Yang's goal, cameras caught Messi failing to catch up during the 80-meter sprint, chasing but never closing the gap. The replay became fuel for pundits and fans, many of whom questioned whether the Argentine prodigy had been overhyped.
Some in the press dubbed it a symbolic moment — Messi, backgrounded by Yang Yang, in both the footage and the narrative.
Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard quickly came to Messi's defense, stating in the post-match conference: "Lionel is returning from injury. He's not fully match fit yet, and speed has never been his defining strength. It's unfair to draw conclusions from one chase."
Still, the press wasn't forgiving.
Catalan media, in particular, scrambled to offer technical breakdowns. El Mundo Deportivo argued that Yang Yang's use of his body during the run — shielding the ball, staying between Messi and the ball's path — had made it impossible to overtake.
"Yang Yang's sprint was not just fast — it was intelligent," one columnist wrote. "His positioning was deliberate. Messi had no lane to accelerate into."
But the debate didn't fade.
For many, it wasn't about speed alone. It was about the perception — that Messi, the rising jewel of Barcelona, had again come up short in direct comparison to Yang Yang. It was the second time in one year. First at the World Youth Championship, now on the Champions League stage.
Spanish daily Marca was particularly blunt.
"Messi is a prodigy raised under the protection of Barcelona — developed in comfort, untested by hardship. Yang Yang, on the other hand, is forged through adversity, a player who had to climb through shadows and resistance."
The paper continued:
"We cannot yet say who will go further in their careers. But today, based on momentum, mentality, and achievement, Yang Yang is ahead."
The transfer speculation reignited immediately.
Presidential candidate Fernando Martín of Real Madrid once again made headlines, publicly stating that, if elected, he would authorize an immediate €40 million move to buy out Yang Yang's contract from Ajax and bring him to the Bernabéu.
"In the new season, we want to see Yang Yang in a white shirt, scoring goals in La Liga," Martín declared.
But Spain wasn't alone in its pursuit.
Serie A media outlets reported renewed interest from Juventus and Inter Milan, while Premier League clubs — especially Manchester United — were believed to be monitoring the situation closely.
It had become a pattern across the last two years: every time Yang Yang scored, the transfer rumors surged.
But this time felt different.
This time, everyone agreed — the saga would finally end this summer.
Whether it would be Real Madrid, Manchester, or Milan, Yang Yang's time at Ajax was reaching its conclusion.
And wherever he landed next, the eyes of the football world would follow.
...
...
One week later – Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain.
After a full week of rest and focused preparation, Ajax arrived at the Camp Nou with renewed energy and sharper physical condition. Their minds were clear, their spirits willing. But there was no hiding the truth:
Yang Yang was missing.
Without their captain and attacking talisman, Ajax had lost their sharpest edge — and the result showed.
Barcelona 2 – 0 Ajax.
Goals from Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o secured the victory for the hosts. Lionel Messi came off the bench once more, hoping to make his mark. But again, he failed to find the net.
Ajax fought with determination, but the gulf in quality was visible. Without Yang Yang's speed and creativity on the break, they struggled to stretch Barcelona's lines. Their counterattacks lacked threat. Their transitions lacked teeth.
High in the stands, Yang Yang watched it all unfold with a heavy heart.
He sat motionless throughout the match, eyes fixed on the pitch, hands clenched in silent frustration. He couldn't affect the outcome. He couldn't run, press, or shoot. And that helplessness — that feeling of being caged while his teammates battled below — gnawed at him.
His mind understood the reality: reaching the Champions League semi-finals and losing to a team like Barcelona was already an incredible achievement.
But emotionally?
He hated every minute of it.
Especially tonight.
Especially watching it all from a seat instead of the touchline.
After the match, Yang Yang was surrounded by reporters from both Dutch and Spanish media. The cameras crowded in. Microphones pushed forward. Everyone wanted to hear what he had to say.
His answer was brief. Firm.
"If there's anything I want to say, it's this — I will definitely come back to this stage."
And that was all.
He turned and walked away, heading straight to the locker room.
His priority now was his teammates. He wanted to be with them. They had given everything — and now, they still had one more prize to fight for: the KNVB Cup final.
On aggregate, Barcelona won 3–1 and advanced to the Champions League final.
In the other semi-final, Arsenal edged past Villarreal with a narrow 1–0 win at Highbury. The aggregate scoreline sent Arsène Wenger's side to the final to face Barcelona in Paris.
Though Villarreal fell just short, their run had been extraordinary.
And so had the work of Manuel Pellegrini.
The Chilean manager's calm, disciplined, and attacking approach had impressed Yang Yang from afar. His ability to take a modest squad to the brink of a Champions League final earned admiration throughout Europe — and certainly from Yang Yang himself.
"For a coach to take a team like Villarreal this far speaks volumes," he later commented privately. "His attacking football — I like it. It suits me."
Back in Amsterdam, there was no time to dwell on disappointment.
The Ajax players returned home, regrouped, and shifted focus.
After all, losing to Barcelona wasn't a disgrace — it was something they had mentally prepared for. The quality gap between the two sides was real. But there was pride in how far they had come.
Ajax's young squad quickly began preparing for the Dutch Cup final — a chance to finish the season with a domestic double and give the fans something more to celebrate.
But just as the team was settling back into rhythm, European football was rocked by a stunning development.