The score was 4-3.
As the second half neared its end, applause erupted from the stands filled with over 20,000 spectators.
"Get up!"
"One minute left!"
The crowd roared in support of Ho-young, who was catching his breath.
"Hoo…"
Ho-young lifted his head. His chest heaved as hot breaths escaped.
There were still about 30 seconds left in the match, but he couldn't move his feet.
It was as if his body had shut down like a robot whose battery had completely drained.
His blurry gaze drifted far into the distance.
The ball was still circulating in Mexico's defensive zone.
The players didn't move much.
Everyone was exhausted.
Only time and the football kept moving.
'Just a bit more…'
His mind was telling him to push forward, but his legs remained rooted.
This was truly the end.
"Hoo."
Though there was regret in stopping his run, there were no regrets about the journey itself.
He had fought well.
Beeeeep!
Although it was Mexico who came out on top after a tense back-and-forth battle, just making it this far was an outstanding achievement.
[And that brings the match to a close. Mexico defeats South Korea 4-3 and secures their spot in the final.]
[Yes. Despite the loss, they fought bravely. Mexico, as one of the tournament favorites, showed their formidable strength. But for South Korea, even making it to this stage is nothing short of a miracle.]
[Absolutely! Let's not forget South Korea barely qualified for the World Cup finals to begin with. What a performance they've delivered!]
[That's right. Our players have done us proud. Ah... but look at Ho-young. He can't even lift his head, clearly overwhelmed with emotion. I want to run down there and give him a hug myself. Haha, I'm getting emotional just watching.]
As the match ended, Ho-young lay sprawled on the pitch, his mind completely blank.
All he could feel was regret.
Nothing else crossed his mind.
Still, he had shown everything he had prepared. There were no major regrets about his performance.
What hurt was the inability to overcome the gap in team strength.
The bitter taste of elimination.
Those were the only things that stung.
But even so, Ho-young raised his head.
He may not have made it to the final, but he had gained something far more valuable.
A new goal—to reach a level where, no matter the team or league, he could fully express his own style of play.
And the ability to break through limitations.
The kind of skill that could revolutionize the football world.
'I still have a long way to go.'
He hadn't even climbed halfway up the mountain.
Perhaps that's why football felt even more enjoyable.
Because there was still somewhere higher to climb.
Because he could continue achieving.
And so, Ho-young wanted to keep climbing.
There would be no satisfaction until there was nowhere left to reach.
His heart began to race once again.
As the Mexican flag appeared on the stadium scoreboard, he reaffirmed his resolve.
That spot—they wouldn't take it from him next time.
After the semifinals, Ho-young's name began to spread in earnest across the globe.
In South Korea, news articles poured out the moment the match ended, almost as if they had been written in advance.
[English media: "The winners are Mexico and Ho-young, the losers are South Korea and Carlos Vela." Spotlight on Ho-young's chances for the Golden Ball.]
[Records upon records! Youngest hat-trick in tournament history… Ho-young's journey that shocked the world is not over yet.]
Among the flood of articles, those about individual accolades drew the most attention.
[Who will claim the most prestigious individual award among World Cup players—the Golden Ball (MVP)?
Ho-young (13, São Paulo FC) and Carlos Vela (17, CD Guadalajara) are currently ranked 1st and 2nd in the scoring chart heading into the third-place match and the final. Ho-young leads with 8 goals, while Vela is close behind with 6.
If Ho-young wins the Golden Boot and helps South Korea finish third, his chances of winning the Golden Ball will increase significantly.]
└ Of course it's Ho-young.
└ It's not over yet... If Vela scores the winning goal in the final and Mexico wins, it'll definitely go to him.
└ Then we just have to hope Mexico finishes as runners-up.
└ Let's go for the Golden Boot!
└ MVP, here we come!
The battle was razor-thin.
Who would become the star of the World Cup would be decided in the remaining matches.
Three days later, on October 2nd.
South Korea's third-place match would be held first, followed by the final between Mexico and Brazil.
Their opponent for the third-place match was, coincidentally, Turkey!
A showdown that brought back memories of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup.
At 3 PM, the match began as 35,000 spectators filled the stadium.
[Yes! The third-place match between South Korea and Turkey has just kicked off. We may have lost the third-place match in 2002, but this time, we hope our players bring home a great result.]
[I agree. I believe they will. But this is expected to be a tough match. Turkey showed strong form in the Round of 16...]
Turkey's squad wasn't particularly strong.
Still, commentator Park Moon-seok predicted a tough match because of their team organization and the tactical prowess of their coach.
But that prediction proved wrong.
[Gooooal! Goal! Goal! It's a goal! Just five minutes into the first half, Ho-young scores with a stunning long-range shot!]
[Ah, brilliant! As expected of Ho-young. It was predicted to be a tough match, but our players are performing well. Still, we can't let our guard down!]
Ten minutes later, the net shook again.
Turkey's goalkeeper let out a deep sigh.
[Gooooal! South Korea's Suk Hyun-jun scores the second goal! What a key pass from Ho-young!]
[Ha ha... I'm speechless! Incredible!]
Although the gameplay was fairly even, South Korea was the one putting goals on the scoreboard.
The second half continued with thrilling football.
Perhaps because it was the last match, the players gave everything they had.
Late in the game, Turkey tried to mount a comeback, exploiting South Korea's once again shaky defense, and managed to equalize.
The match ended 2-2.
Only after a penalty shootout did South Korea finally secure the win.
[South Korea finishes 3rd in the World Cup!]
[Yes, even though it's the U-17 tournament and not the senior competition, it's still a meaningful achievement. This marks the first time in 20 years since the tournament's inception in 1985 that an Asian nation has finished 3rd. Truly incredible.]
3rd place at the U-17 World Cup.
An achievement no one had imagined at the beginning of the year.
Some players clung to each other and cried, while others wrapped themselves in the Taegukgi and basked in the joy.
The celebration ended with a victory toss.
Coach Park Kyung-woon was hoisted into the air first, and next was…
"Who's next?"
"Who else? Lift him!"
All eyes turned to the youngest player on the team.
Their star player—Ho-young.
There was no debate.
Ho-young was thrown into the air.
"Wooooaaaaah!"
His clenched fist punching the sky drew the attention of reporters.
With that, South Korea wrapped up the tournament on a high note with a third-place finish, leaving only the final to be played.
The outcome of that match, particularly Vela's performance, would determine who would win the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball.
The final began shortly after.
The Korean squad watched from the stands prepared by the tournament organizers.
Brazil vs Mexico.
Ho-young spotted familiar faces from across the pitch.
Marcelo, Fabinho, Breno, and others.
They were all putting up a strong fight against Mexico.
A final that was expected to be an easy win for Mexico began to take an unexpected turn.
Carlos Vela, who was supposed to be dominating the defensive line, was struggling to make an impact.
'He's feeling the pressure.'
After Ho-young scored in the third-place match, Vela likely felt pressured to outdo him. The weight of expectations prevented him from performing at his best.
It was the same for the other Mexican players.
They had poured so much energy into the semifinal against South Korea that they couldn't deliver in the final when it mattered most.
Brazil, on the other hand, looked fresh.
And so, defying all expectations, Brazil emerged as champions.
Ho-young's chest swelled with emotion.
'That seals it.'
After a 30-minute trophy celebration, the individual awards ceremony began.
The Golden Shoe for top scorer, with 9 goals, went to none other than Ho-young.
Next was the long-awaited Golden Ball award.
Voting had concluded at halftime during the final.
The golden trophy, small enough to be held in one hand.
It was awarded to the football world's unprecedented comet, who led South Korea to 3rd place and claimed the Golden Boot at just 13 years of age—Woo Ho-young.
Top scorer.
Youngest player.
Youngest goal scorer.
Youngest Man of the Match.
Youngest hat-trick.
Youngest to stand on the podium.
No one could dispute Ho-young's Golden Ball win.
It was a historic moment that marked a turning point in football history.
After the ceremony, interviews followed.
The recipients were the winning team's manager, the Golden Ball winner, the Golden Boot winner, and the Golden Glove winner.
After Brazil's manager, it was Ho-young's turn.
The reporter asked in an excited tone.
"We can't skip this question while Ho-young is standing here. What are your thoughts on the tournament?"
"Yes."
With a face full of emotion, Ho-young responded.
"It was an enjoyable challenge. It felt like climbing a snowy mountain. Although I didn't reach the summit this time, I'll definitely get there one day. They say the greatest glory lies in rising again. I want to thank everyone who supported me, especially my fans at the WooHooHyung fan café, who cheer me on 365 days a year."
He felt especially grateful to the fans who had sent him all sorts of gifts—clothing, electronics, and more—for his birthday earlier this year.
Once the interpreter translated his words, the gathered reporters responded with smiles and nods.
"Thank you for the wonderful words. So, what are your plans moving forward? There are already transfer rumors linking you to big clubs. Is there any news about your future?"
"This is the most important moment in my football career. And I'll need the right partner to walk that path with me."
"There are rumors that you'll be settling in Spain. Is your next destination Catalonia, or is it Madrid?"
It was a question asking whether it would be FC Barcelona or Real Madrid.
Apparently, the rumors had spread this far.
"Hm."
Ho-young chuckled softly.
"I can go anywhere. As long as the conditions are right."
And with that, the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru came to an end.
December would arrive soon.
It was time to make a real decision, what club to sign with, and under what conditions.
There was no more time to delay.
One thing was certain: wherever he went, it would be a prestigious club.
The next day, a special guest arrived in Barcelona, located in the Catalonia region of Spain.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Lucci, CEO of Euro Export Agency."
"Welcome. I'm Rexach, the club's technical director."
Ho-young's agent, Lucci, had been invited by Spain's prestigious club, FC Barcelona.
Originally, the meeting was scheduled for next week, but after hearing Lucci would be visiting Spain, Rexach hurriedly pushed it forward by a week.
After brief introductions, they moved straight to business.
Despite two hours of discussion, the gap between the club and Lucci's demands was difficult to bridge.
FC Barcelona certainly wanted to sign Ho-young.
But they weren't yet confident enough to accept all of Ho-young's terms.
'These conditions... This isn't about money.'
Rexach looked troubled.
In the end, the meeting became more of a reconnaissance between the two sides.
"How long will you be staying in Spain?"
"I can't say for sure. But I have to head to Madrid this afternoon."
"To Real Madrid?"
"I can't disclose the details, but I have two meetings lined up."
"I see."
Two names popped into Rexach's head—Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid.
Lucci's next stop was the headquarters of Real Madrid CF, located in Madrid.
Upon arriving, he was greeted by the club's board members.
This wasn't just any welcome.
One of them, a man whose square-rimmed glasses radiated charisma, had the aura of a seasoned politician.
He was someone every Real Madrid fan, young or old, would recognize.
"You've come a long way."
Sitting at the negotiation table was none other than the president of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)