When playing football, you should call it GOAT.

Chapter 57 Back then, we had no idea how dazzling the future would be (Bonus Chapter!)
The 25th minute of the game.

After a high-speed breakthrough on the right flank, Sagnol curled a cross with the outside of his right foot. The ball was fast and well-placed, falling between the edge of the six-yard box and the penalty spot.

They bypassed the Egyptian center-back's defensive zone and went directly to find Henry's forward run route.

Henry had already started his run before Sagnol could even take a shot, cutting diagonally into the six-yard box and getting ahead of Egyptian center-back Goma.

Before the ball even hit the ground, he unleashed a powerful left-footed volley that flew straight into the top right corner of the goal!

Egyptian goalkeeper Hadari dived to the side and blocked the ball with one hand, but failed to clear it far enough.

After his shot was saved, Henry instantly adjusted his pace and rushed towards the rebound point.

Before Egyptian defender Elsaka could block, he leaped and headed the ball powerfully into the net!

Dubois's narration was passionate:
"Sagnol crosses from the right—Henry!! Volleys!! Haddari saves—but Henry is still there! Header on the rebound!!! BUUUUUT!!! 2-0!"

The Stade de France erupted in thunderous cheers.

27 minutes.

Egyptian midfielder Gali attempted a short pass, but Pedroti anticipated it and intercepted with a vicious sliding tackle!

Without making any adjustments after getting up, he immediately delivered a low through ball, accurately finding Roy who had dropped back to receive it.

Roy controlled the ball, turned, and got away.

With his back to the goal, Roy deftly flicked the ball with his right foot, turned around, and Egypt's defensive midfielder Abdelaziz missed the target!
On his second touch, he feigned a breakthrough to the left, then suddenly flicked the ball with the outside of his right foot, shaking off the recovering defender Tabe and instantly creating space to pass!
They then split up and orchestrated a plan, with Pires putting on a magic show.

Roy calmly passed the ball across to Pires on the left wing, while he quickly moved forward, drawing the attention of two center-backs.

Pires first used a shoulder drop feint to fool right-back Ahmed Fati!

Then the fried dough stick flew between the two defenders!
After reaching the byline, instead of blindly crossing the ball, he passed it back to the onrushing Pedretti!

Pedroti, without stopping the ball, made a diagonal pass with one touch, and Roy had already quietly retreated to the edge of the penalty area!
Egypt's defenses have been completely mobilized, and no one is stepping forward to block them!

Roy adjusted his footing with small, quick steps, his left foot firmly planted on the turf.

At the moment of contact, the inside of the right foot curls out an extreme arc, and the ball traces a C-shaped trajectory in the air!
Egyptian goalkeeper Haddari made a desperate dive, but the ball grazed the junction of the crossbar and post and nestled into the net! A perfect, unassailable corner!
Dubois's voice nearly cracked during the commentary:
"Pedretti intercepts the ball—through pass to Roy! Turn! Pass to the wing! Pires' magic!! Pass back—Roy curls a shot from outside the box!!! BUUUUUT!!! 3-0!"

The sound of a fist slamming on the table came from the commentary booth.

"That curve! That precision! 18-year-old Roy turned football into art! Haddari couldn't even touch it with his fingertips!"

Commentator Patrice Korsson's tactical analysis:
"Look at this triangular passing sequence in the attack—Pedretti>Roy>Pires>Pedretti>Roy, five passes tore apart the entire defense! The Egyptian players were like they were hypnotized!"

Slow motion replay:
Roy made a subtle adjustment to his ankle as he controlled the ball and turned.

Pires broke through, causing the defender's center of gravity to collapse instantly.

The football's trajectory in the air was unpredictable during the chip shot.

Korsson then analyzed: "This play perfectly illustrates the concept of 'dynamic positional interchange' in modern football: Roy dropped back to support the play and draw away the defensive midfielder, creating a 1v1 opportunity for Pires. Pires's explosive run down the wing forced the defense to collapse, creating space for Roy to shoot from distance. Pedroti made a run to receive the pass and completed the final pass, demonstrating midfield wisdom."

Chen Lan smiled proudly and clapped her hands gently.

Rowan screamed frantically, "That's my brother! That's my brother!"

Romi pointed at the big screen: "My brother's on TV again!"

Mbappe's eyes lit up as he imitated Roy's chip shot.

In the 34th minute of the match, Henry scored his second goal!

Sagnol crossed from the right again, and Roy deliberately let the ball pass!
Pires received the ball and passed it across to Henry, who slotted it home with his right foot! 4-0!

In first-half stoppage time, Pires unleashed a powerful shot and scored!

After Roy combined with Pires again, Pires passed the ball across to Wiltord, whose shot hit the post!

The ball rolled along the goal line, Roy gained possession first, passed it back from the byline, and Pires unleashed another powerful shot from the penalty spot into the net! 5-0!

When the referee blew the halftime whistle, the score was France 5-0 Egypt.

The lights at the Stade de France came on, and more than 30,000 fans stood up and began chanting the names of the players on the field, the sound rising in waves.

"Barthes!"

"Lizarazu!"

"Henry! Henry!"

Suddenly, the volume of one name rose sharply—

"Ro-Yi!!"

Roy was bending down to adjust his shin guards when he heard the shout. He paused for a moment, then suppressed a smile and casually waved to the stands.

This action triggered even more frenzied screams, with the female fans' voices rising an octave.

The sideline photographers snapped photos frantically: his black hair was soaked with sweat, and his mixed-race features looked like a classical sculpture under the strong light; the naivety of an 18-year-old coexisted strangely with a fierce aura.

Santini called Roy over to the bench and whispered:

"They played very well, but in a friendly match I need to give the other players a chance."

Roy nodded without saying anything more.

He turned and walked to the sidelines, suddenly ripped off his soaking wet jersey, and threw it into the stands—

"Wow!"

The stands erupted in chaos!

Roy was shirtless, his muscles gleaming golden under the lights.

He raised his hands and clapped in the air, both to thank the fans and to pay tribute to the stadium.

Santini's lips twitched: "This kid generates more buzz when he comes off the field than when he scores."

Don't ask, the answer is that I learned it from Beckham.

Pires touched his signature dark brown hair with a complicated expression and whispered to Henry, "Sylvain's loss was not unjust."

Henry shook his head with a smile: "This kid is just like a carbon copy of Manchester United's blonde bombshell."

Wiltord looked at Roy from afar and finally realized that the gap between him and Roy was far more than just talent and skill.

Some things are simply not there from the start.

Kylian Mbappé leaned on the railing, his eyes fixed on Roy – in his eyes, the star of the French team was all in number 11.

The atmosphere in the locker room at the Stade de France was somewhat subtle.

Unlike the star-studded lineups of previous national teams, this year's squad is remarkably modest – Zidane declined the call-up, citing the need for adjustments, while Trezeguet, Makelele, and Thuram are all unavailable due to their Champions League commitments.

Monaco—a team that has just unleashed a youth revolution in Ligue 1—has four players selected:
Roy, Giuly, Rothen, Squillaci. If it weren't for Santini needing to consider factionalism, Evra would most likely have had the opportunity to make his national team debut.

"It seems that our 'Monaco group' will not have a chance to play as a group."

Juli patted Roy on the shoulder, a teasing smile on his lips.

Roy was taking shin guards out of his socks when he heard this. He looked up and glanced at the locker room.

Henry quietly tied his shoelaces in the corner. Pires tidied his long hair in front of the mirror.

Wiltord and Sagnol spoke in hushed tones.

Without Zidane's commanding presence or Makelele's silent presence, the atmosphere in the room was relaxed, even somewhat empty.

"fair enough."

Roy stood up and stretched his thigh muscles. "Let the Parisians see that even without Galactic Armor, we can still create a tsunami."

Giuly whistled, and Rothen was already humming Monaco's team song with a mischievous grin.

In the 63rd minute, Dacourt intercepted the ball in midfield and passed it to substitute Giuly, who accelerated past the defender and passed it to another substitute, Roy, who, understanding the play, ran onto it and fired a shot into the net from a tight angle with his right foot.

In the 77th minute, Sagnol delivered another perfectly placed cross, which Rothen controlled with his chest 10 meters from the goal, and then chipped the ball over the goalkeeper with the outside of his left foot into the net.

Santini kept making substitutions, and by the end of the match, only Barthez and Lizarazu, two members of the 2000 European champions, remained on the field.

France ultimately won the match 7-1.

May 1, 2003, the Roy family's Paris holiday.

08:30, Eiffel Tower.

The Eiffel Tower was sparsely populated in the early morning. Roy, wearing black sunglasses and a mask, dressed in a loose linen shirt, and holding a Nikon film camera, was taking a family photo.

"The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King": Younger brother Roman mischievously squats on the lawn, making a misaligned photo of his hands "lifting" the Eiffel Tower, which makes Romy giggle.

"Ballet Under the Eiffel Tower": Luo Mi, the younger sister, suddenly stood on tiptoe, imitating a ballerina. Chen Lan gently supported her, and the steel frame of the Eiffel Tower became a perfect backdrop.

Roy was recognized by several sharp-eyed fans, but he simply raised his index finger and lightly touched his lips, indicating "please don't make a fuss."

But afterwards, he still found a secluded corner, took off his mask, and took a photo with them.

10:15, Louvre Museum.

The Roy family avoided the crowds and entered through a side door. Rowan wasn't interested in the Mona Lisa; instead, he kept pestering his brother, asking, "Why aren't the people in these paintings wearing clothes?"

Roy frowned, "You little brat..."
"Reflection of the Glass Pyramid": Roy had his mother, Chen Lan, squat down, and then had Rowan and Romy pose in front of the Louvre's glass pyramid in a "Superman take-off" pose, creating an interplay between the reflection and the real scene.

Rowan secretly imitated the pose from "The Thinker," but ended up sitting on nothing, and Roy captured the embarrassing moment on camera.

12:30, Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris.

The midday sun streamed into the church through the rose window, and Romy was captivated by the colorful light and shadow, looking up in a daze.

"The Virgin of Light and Shadow": Roy had his mother stand under the stained glass window. Chen Lan, a little embarrassed, smoothed her hair, but in the instant the light enveloped her whole body, she unconsciously straightened her back—the colorful light and shadow flowed on her elegant dress, like a classical oil painting being painted.

"Little Monster Photo": Rowan was more interested in the gargoyles outside the church and tugged at his brother's clothes as he ran toward the gargoyle statue.

"Brother! Quick, film my battle with the monster!"

He struck exaggerated fighting poses and even tried to climb onto the base.

When Roy knelt down to take the shot, he suddenly felt a little dazed—he was terribly "familiar" with these hideous gargoyles, every flying buttress and every corridor of this church.

In a non-existent memory, he once roamed this place as an assassin, scaling walls and touching every stone polished by time with his fingertips.

The roof, destroyed by the fire in 2019, now casts a shadow over his head, completely intact.

With a click of the shutter, Rowan's grimacing expression was frozen in time with the gargoyle.

Roy gently touched his brother's sweaty nape and whispered, "Be careful, these monsters have been guarding the church for hundreds of years."

Just as he was about to leave, a white-haired nun quietly stopped Roy.

She handed him an old Notre Dame emblem with her wrinkled hands. "Child, this is for you."

The metal badge gleamed warmly in the sunlight, bearing the inscription: "May the Virgin Mary protect you from injury and illness."

Roy paused, thinking to himself, "You're a football fan?"

But I still carefully pinned the badge to my camera bag.

As he turned, he took one last look at the church spire—there lay the air he had leaped through in his "memory," and the clear May sky of reality.

17:30, Paris Saint-Ouen Flea Market.

Roy wanted to pick out souvenirs for his family, but his younger siblings were drawn to the antique toy stall.

"Retro Time": Rowan is wearing a WWII French military helmet, Romy is holding a 1920s teddy bear, and Chen Lan is paying with a smile.

Luo Wen used his allowance to buy a "lucky coin" and insisted on giving it to his older brother: "Take it with you to the next competition!"

19:00, Betty Yong Ice Cream Shop.

A long line formed in front of Paris’s most famous ice cream shop as Roy pulled his hat down low to buy the family’s signature flavor.

"Ice Cream Offense and Defense": Romy's strawberry ball fell on Rowan's shoe, and Roy captured the moment when the two were blaming each other.

"Mother's Sweetness": A close-up of Chen Lan's eyes squinting into crescents as she tries pistachio flavor for the first time.

20:30, Montmartre.

The Sacred Heart Cathedral was brightly lit under the night sky, and a street artist painted a cartoon portrait of Romy.

"Family Silhouette": Roy set up a tripod and took a silhouette photo of the four of them with their backs to the Paris night view, with his younger brother and sister making a "V" sign.

At the end, Romy was so tired that she fell asleep on her brother's back, still clutching a half-melted ice cream in her hand.

Roy whispered to his mother, "Let's go out and play together again next time."

Later, Roy compiled these photos into an album, with the inscription on the title page: "Paris, 2003 - at that time we had no idea how dazzling the future would be."

April 28th, Genoa Ferraris Stadium – Italy will forever remember this moment, and football fans around the world will forever remember this day.

Here and now, Baggio delivered a perfect performance in his farewell show for the national team, and at this moment, he will say goodbye to the blue jersey forever.

Baggio's first touch of the ball 1 minute and 15 seconds into the game elicited a thunderous cheer at the Ferraris Stadium. The chants of "BAGGIO, BAGGIO" seemed to transport people back to the summer of 14 years ago in Italy, when the same shouts came from the stands after Baggio entered the game against Argentina.

"Cheers, hugs, cheers. Baggio was overwhelmed by a wave of love."

Baggio was clearly moved by the passion that filled the Ferraris Stadium, and he said emotionally, "This is a special night for me. Of course, it's also the last one. I really hope to continue playing for the national team, but I'm not 100% fit. Now, I still have a few league games to play."

My leg gave me trouble again, which was the main reason I decided to retire, but I had been looking forward to this game, and I played the entire 87 minutes with the pain. I think what impressed me most tonight was the banners and songs of the fans in the stands; those words will be deeply etched in my heart. Also, I want to thank Panucci; he was supposed to wear the captain's armband in the second half, but he gave it to me, and this was the first time I wore the Italian captain's armband.”

"Goodbye, Roberto Baggio!"

— Gazzetta dello Sport

Since I've given up on getting on the new book chart, I'll add another chapter of daily life.

So starting tomorrow, we will begin the daily 10,000 process.

After it's published, I guarantee at least 10,000 words per day. The more I write, the more I update!

Thank you all for your support and for reading! The author has already secured a spot on the Sanjiang List. Recently, I've made some mistakes while writing the book, including some obscure or even harmful content.

Thanks to everyone's understanding and suggestions, I was able to make improvements in a timely manner.

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(End of this chapter)