The morning sun over the Real Madrid City training complex was brutal, but Mateo didn't feel the heat. He stood on Pitch 4, surrounded by the rest of the Juvenil C squad.
Coach Nacho Román stood with a clipboard, his expression cold. "Today is a full-field scrimmage. Eleven on eleven. I want to see intensity. Some of you are playing for your spot in this academy. Some of you have already lost it."
His eyes lingered on Mateo for a second too long. Mateo didn't flinch.
[Match Analysis Initializing...]
[Opponent: Juvenil C Starting XI]
[Weakness Detected: Left-back over-commits. Center-back pair lacks communication on long balls.]
Mateo was placed in the 'B' team—the substitutes. As the whistle blew, the game started with the usual frantic pace of Spanish youth football. But for Mateo, everything felt slow. His Divine Body moved with a grace he had never known.
In the 15th minute, a loose ball bobbled near the center circle. Usually, Mateo would struggle to control it under pressure. Instead, he lunged, his long legs reaching the ball first.
Step-over. Drop of the shoulder.
The Cristiano Ronaldo template flared in his mind. He didn't just move; he exploded. He bypassed the first midfielder with a burst of speed that left the boy stumbling.
"What the hell?" Coach Román muttered, stepping closer to the touchline.
Mateo didn't stop. He was 30 yards out. He saw the goalkeeper slightly off his line. He remembered the template's instructions: Lean slightly forward, strike the center-top of the ball, follow through with a snap.
He unleashed a "knuckleball" strike. The ball didn't spin; it vibrated in the air, shifting left then diving violently right. The keeper didn't even dive.
GOAL.
The pitch went silent. His teammates stopped running. The coaches looked at each other, then at Mateo. He wasn't panting. He wasn't tired. He just turned back to the center circle, his 6'2" frame casting a long shadow.
"Again," Mateo said simply.
By the end of the hour, Mateo had scored four. He had outrun the fastest winger and out-muscled the strongest defender.
The Aftermath: A Change in Plans
That evening, Nacho Román didn't give Mateo his release papers. Instead, he called someone higher up.
Two days later, Mateo wasn't training with Juvenil C. He was moved straight past Juvenil B and into Juvenil A (The U19s), coached by Álvaro Arbeloa.
[System Notification: Level Up]
[Template Integration: Ronaldo (2008) — 15%]
[New Feature Unlocked: Training Simulator — Legendary Mode]
The Real Madrid 2021/22 Timeline (August)
Date Competition Match Result Scorers Mateo's Status
Aug 14 La Liga Alavés vs Real Madrid 1–4 (W) Benzema (2), Nacho, Vinícius Training with Juvenil A
Aug 22 La Liga Levante vs Real Madrid 3–3 (D) Bale, Vinícius (2)
While Mateo begins his rapid ascent through the youth ranks, the First Team begins their season.
The world is about to notice. Ancelotti is looking for a "spark" for the bench, and rumors are circulating about a 15-year-old giant in the academy who plays like a young Ronaldo.