He opened the eyes of fans and the media to the unsung heroes behind Real Madrid's treble triumph.
Sharing credit wasn't just symbolic—it meant sharing real rewards.
Su Hang's approach wasn't entirely unheard of, but it was incredibly rare.
Marca: "We can't say Su Hang is a saint, but at least now we understand why someone so young commands such authority at Real Madrid."
AS: "If this happened with anyone else, it would be surprising. But with Su? Completely normal. He's done it before."
Liverpool Echo: "At the Champions League award ceremony, Su Hang gave up his chance to lift the trophy to Raúl and Figo—something no other player his age would do. Don't forget, he's Real Madrid's current captain!"
Bild: "Su Hang's behavior is fascinating. On the pitch, he fights for every inch, but off it, he's humble and never takes undue credit. It's a rare quality—a kind of humility that's often overlooked."
Without Su Hang's timely defense, Cassano would have humiliated himself—but once Su spoke up, the backlash quickly turned on the Italian coaching staff instead.
Eventually, reports surfaced suggesting Cassano's exclusion wasn't only due to Lippi—it also had to do with Roma.
Cassano's bitter contract dispute with Roma had left bad blood, and the club allegedly used its influence to make things difficult for him in the national team, conveniently aligning with Lippi's stance.
Others claimed Cassano's falling out with Totti was another reason he wasn't called up.
It wasn't that Totti was being petty—the coaching staff simply feared Cassano's presence might disrupt team harmony and create a toxic atmosphere.
Though Cassano still missed the squad, at least his reputation was intact.
He managed to save face.
Cassano later called Su Hang to thank him and pledged his loyalty in return.
Real Madrid coach Simon laughed: "Cassano, looks like your road just got wider! Maybe this is what they mean by a blessing in disguise."
...
The ripple effect was immediate.
Several national teams rechecked their rosters before publishing, wary of sparking controversy—especially those featuring Real Madrid players in contentious spots.
Only after thorough review did they make their lists public.
For Argentina, young star Messi, who debuted for the national team last year, once again made the cut.
This squad, built around Riquelme, featured heavyweights like Heinze, Ayala, Cambiasso, Mascherano, Aimar, Tevez, Cruz, Crespo, and Saviola—a formidable lineup indeed.
Portugal, meanwhile, was led by Figo.
Deco, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nuno Gomes, Pauleta, Postiga, Simao, Maniche, Carvalho, Ferreira, Ricardo, and Viana were all included.
The unlucky one was Quaresma, the "King of the Outside of the Foot," who suffered a serious injury just before the tournament and missed the World Cup entirely.
That left only three teams yet to announce their final squads:
France.
Brazil.
Spain.
Spain, in particular, faced an agonizing selection process.
Veteran coach Luis Aragonés—the "Wise Old Man"—was practically tearing his hair out over the final choices.
To be fair, Spain hadn't seen a lineup this strong in years.
Even now, La Liga distinguishes between the "Top Spanish Scorer" (the Zarra Trophy) and the overall top scorer (the Pichichi Trophy)—a reflection of how dominant foreign players have become.
Without a separate award, Spanish players would barely be in the conversation.
But that changed this year when Spanish-born Chinese striker Su Hang swept both scoring titles, raising the standard for homegrown forwards.
Add to that the success of Spanish players abroad in the Premier League and Barcelona's resurgence at home, and suddenly Spain was overflowing with world-class talent.
In the past, selections were made based on domestic "top scorer" caliber players—essentially second-tier talents.
Now, there was an abundance of true elites to choose from, making balance far harder to achieve.
For veteran players, this was definitely bad news.
Sure enough, when Spain's final list was revealed, it reflected Aragonés' forward-thinking vision.
Casillas, Cañizares, Reina, Salgado, Ramos, Ibáñez, Mariano, Puyol, Marchena, Fàbregas, Reyes, Iniesta, Xavi, Joaquín, Luis García, Xabi Alonso, Marcos Senna, Albelda, Raúl, Villa, Torres, and Su Hang.
Among them, the second-youngest was Su Hang, born October 10, 1986—just a few months older than Fàbregas and Argentina's rising star Messi, and about a year and a half younger than Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo: "Wait—how come 21 suddenly sounds old?"
As for the veterans, aside from Cañizares, born in 1969, most were between 25 and 29.
Players in their mid-twenties were roughly balanced with those under 24.
It was a notably young squad, tilted toward youth.
This sparked heated debate across Spain.
Many doubted such a young lineup could deliver results.
There were clearly too many inexperienced players—surely they could've added five or six more seasoned veterans to balance it out.
Was Aragonés planning to use the World Cup as a training ground?
Hey—believe it or not—he actually was.
His age limit for this World Cup was simple: anyone who could still play in the next European Championship.
There were only a few "veteran slots."
The rest had to be players who could, at least theoretically, feature in the next World Cup.
Of course, "could" mainly referred to their age—no one can guarantee a player's form four years down the line.
So anyone born before 1976 was automatically ruled out.
If a promising youngster had already emerged in a given position, Aragonés tightened the limit even further.
Naturally, this earned him plenty of enemies.
After all, a 30-year-old established star carries far more influence, fan support, and public appeal than an 18- or 20-year-old newcomer.
Well-known players like Morientes, Tristán, Baraja, Etxeberria, Helguera, Guti, and Vicente—none of them in top form—were all left out.
Many voiced strong complaints, latching onto the inclusion of naturalized players like Mariano and Marcos Senna as a point of attack.
But Aragonés was shrewd.
Despite the sweeping changes, he made sure not to touch the Spanish national team's core power structure.