"In many media predictions, we weren't even considered good enough to reach the Champions League quarterfinals. That, in a way, motivated us."
"I'm not saying this to prove anyone wrong, but to tell the whole world…"
"Attention! Attention! The Galácticos is setting sail!"
"Siu!"
The next moment, Su Hang's Real Madrid teammates behind him raised their fists and roared in unison:
"Siuuuuu!"
Thunderous applause erupted throughout the stadium.
The Galácticos blazed with unstoppable brilliance—unrivaled and untouchable!
Finally, the moment came to present the championship trophy.
But with two trophies already in his hands, Su Hang couldn't lift the Champions League cup.
So he turned toward Raúl.
Raúl looked both flattered and surprised.
Only the captain had the right to lift the Big Ears trophy.
But in Su Hang's eyes, he saw firm insistence.
Raúl didn't refuse. After all, this was also his first time, and he felt both honored and thrilled.
Taking the trophy, Raúl walked to the center of the group, while Su Hang quietly moved to the edge, keeping a low profile.
"So low-key? This might be the only time in your life you ever get to lift the Holy Grail," Zidane whispered as he slipped up beside him.
"That's a pretty cruel curse," Su Hang shot back, rolling his eyes. "Looks like you're empty-handed too. Why don't you hold the Top Scorer trophy for me?"
"Get lost!" Zidane huffed. "And next time you come over to admire my Ballon d'Or and World Player of the Year trophies, do me a favor and wipe off your fingerprints and drool."
"Yeah, yeah, you've got all the trophies—congrats. But old man, football belongs to your generation and ours. And one day, it'll be ours for good!" Su Hang retorted, firing back without hesitation.
At the center of the group, Raúl—without the captain's armband—felt the pressure of lifting the trophy alone.
So he called Figo over to share the moment.
With the crowd counting down, Raúl on the left and Figo on the right lifted the Big Ears trophy together.
Real Madrid's players smiled in pure joy, and the entire stadium joined them in a deafening chant: "We are the champions!"
Click!
A world-famous image that should never have existed was born that night.
Real Madrid had captured their tenth Champions League title.
Perfection achieved—ten out of ten!
...
Marca: "Perfect Ten! Real Madrid claim their tenth Champions League trophy!"
AS: "Attention, attention! The Galácticos is setting sail!"
Kicker: "Champions League Team of the Season announced—Lahm misses out!"
La Gazzetta dello Sport: "Maldini and Pirlo left out of the Champions League Best XI—their opponents were simply too strong!"
Tuttosport: "Champions League Player of the Season, La Liga Player of the Season, Champions League Top Scorer, La Liga Top Scorer! The Galácticos create a superstar—Su Hang's explosive rise is unprecedented!"
Corriere dello Sport: "Led by Su Hang! Teammates Zidane, Figo, Ramos, and Casillas join him—five Real Madrid players in the Champions League Best XI!"
Sky Sports: "Henry, Ashley Cole, Shevchenko, Kaka, Ronaldinho, and Puyol join Real Madrid's five stars in the Team of the Season—Los Blancos are the biggest winners!"
BBC: "Su Hang becomes the youngest-ever Champions League Player of the Season!"
Manchester Evening News: "Queiroz saw the gem first! If United had signed Su Hang, a Van Nistelrooy–Su Hang strike partnership could've conquered everything!"
The Times: "A prodigy to be feared! Su Hang bursts onto the scene, outshining Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney, Torres, Iniesta, Van der Vaart, Sneijder, and Robben to reach the very peak of Europe!"
From that night onward, Su Hang became a true global superstar—an unmissable name in world football.
His rise had been meteoric.
For most young players, one or two years is when they're just beginning to make a name for themselves.
But Su Hang had already reached the summit.
To many fans, the first time they heard of Su Hang, he was already a legend.
The last player to experience such a meteoric rise was Ronaldo.
And fittingly, Su Hang was now his teammate—having even achieved what Ronaldo never could.
Soon, many of Ronaldo's fans began shifting their admiration toward Su Hang.
If Ronaldo could no longer return to his former glory, they would pin their hopes on this new star wearing white.
...
Yet, surprisingly, three days after the Champions League final, when Real Madrid held their traditional victory parade, the celebrations weren't as grand as usual.
Even Florentino Pérez wore only a faint smile—more forced than genuine.
This was a treble.
This was the perfect tenth Champions League title.
Given Pérez's usual flair for turning small events into grand spectacles, it was strange not to see three days and nights of nonstop festivities.
With his sharp business sense, Pérez would normally have turned the celebration into a global spectacle, maximizing both attention and profit.
But this time, he didn't.
Su Hang knew why.
This Champions League trophy had helped Pérez save face on his way out and planted the seeds for his future return.
But Pérez was still, politically speaking, a "defeated man."
His losses in other areas were immense, and his faction had been almost entirely wiped out.
No single trophy could erase that.
So the fact that he could even force a smile was impressive enough.
Meanwhile, in Catalonia—the home of Barcelona—the atmosphere was grim.
The entire region seemed to have "gone offline."
Worldwide—well, let's just say Barcelona fans everywhere collectively disappeared.
"Didn't see it, didn't happen, saw nothing at all."
...
With the season officially over, national teams began announcing their final World Cup squads.
Players and fans everywhere huddled around televisions, anxiously waiting to hear the names read out by their national team coaches.
For hosts Germany, stars like Kahn, Lehmann, Lahm, Mertesacker, Metzelder, Huth, Ballack, Schweinsteiger, Frings, Kehl, Schneider, Hitzlsperger, Klose, Podolski, Asamoah, and Kuranyi were all included.
One of the biggest stories was Kahn stepping aside for Lehmann, who was confirmed as Germany's starting goalkeeper for the tournament.
The German team was stacked with talent.
Led by the "three-time runner-up" Ballack, and featuring young prodigies like Podolski, Schweinsteiger, and Lahm alongside established stars such as Kehl, Metzelder, Schneider, and Klose—their lineup was formidable.
They were, without question, one of the favorites to win it all.
But if we're talking favorites, then my Three Lions, England, could certainly join the conversation.
When has England not boasted a galaxy of stars at a major tournament?
Led by Beckham, the squad featured Lampard, Gerrard, Owen, Rooney, Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell, Terry, Ferdinand, Carragher, Gary Neville, Joe Cole, Walcott, Crouch, Defoe, Hargreaves, Bridge, James, and Robinson.
A lineup so stacked that only France or Brazil could possibly match it.