He looked at the men, at their expensive suits, at their polished shoes, at their confident, self-assured smiles. And he knew, with a certainty that was as deep and as unwavering as his love for the game, that they had come for him.
"Mateo Álvarez," one of the men said, his voice smooth and practiced. "It is an honor to finally meet you. My name is David Carter, and this is my colleague, Michael Chen. We are from Nike."
The name hung in the air like a thunderclap. Nike. The swoosh. Just Do It. The biggest sports brand in the world, the company that sponsored his heroes, the company that had created the most iconic marketing campaigns in the history of sport.
Mateo nodded, his expression unreadable. He had heard of them, of course. Everyone had heard of them.
