Chapter 39: The Outside World

Kaka's mentor once said, "One-third is destiny, seven-tenths is hard work, and ninety percent is due to good looks." However, this saying might not apply to many Brazilian footballers. They can't always work very hard, and they might not be blessed with good looks either. Many of them rely only on their natural talents to make a living as professional players. But despite this, some eventually became famous superstars.

Kaka was different; he had all three qualities – talent, hard work, and good looks. The coach's success was built on these three things: a systematic approach to training, a strong determination to improve, and an attractive appearance that made him likable. Of course, the coach didn't make Kaka the team captain just because of these qualities. The coach saw something special in him.

During the final of an important championship match, Kaka led his team to an impressive comeback victory despite being behind. His calm composure and bold decisions in that crucial moment left a lasting impression on the coach. Even though Kaka was the youngest and least experienced player on the team, he emerged as the undisputed leader during that emergency situation.

While everyone only saw Kaka's humble and modest behavior, they might not have realized that this young man had a unique charisma that brought the team together. Moreover, a former teammate spoke very highly of Kaka, describing him as "the most outstanding young man I've ever seen" and predicting that "he will undoubtedly surprise the world with his skills."

However, Kaka's teammates didn't sense any special personal magnetism from their captain; they were only interested in seeing his true abilities on the football field. Having the title of captain is one thing, but earning respect from others is a different matter entirely.

The captain of a national team, even a youth team, holds a prestigious position. Like iconic leaders such as Captain America in the Avengers, Optimus Prime in Transformers, or Batman in the Justice League, they may not be the strongest players, but they are undoubtedly the most prominent figures. Their titles alone can secure a wealthy lifestyle for many years and attract admiration from countless fans.

So, while no one openly criticized the decision, and few believed they could fulfill the role themselves, it didn't stop some players from questioning the coach's choice of captain. This doubt showed during training matches, where teammates passed the ball less frequently to Kaka, and opponents tackled him aggressively, but still within the rules of the game.

For a talented player like Kaka, even if his teammates didn't pass to him... he could only grit his teeth and keep working hard. Fortunately, he had the support of his loyal friend, Baptista.

In such situations, the importance of a loyal sidekick becomes clear, much like how an uncle would try to help his nephew, even if it meant putting his own son aside.

The process followed a familiar pattern: Baptista would win the ball and pass to Kaka, who would dribble, assist, and score goals, leaving everyone in awe and eventually earning their respect. Ultimately, they rallied around the new generation of national team stars, led by the coach and Kaka as the core players, working closely together and intensifying their training. Afterward, in mid-June 2001, they officially embarked on their journey to the U-20 World Cup in Argentina.

The Brazilian team's starting lineup was mostly set, with Maikon as the goalkeeper, Baptista and Kaka in midfield, and Adriano as the striker, with the remaining positions filled according to a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 formation.

Kaka was excited to represent his country, saying in a high-pitched voice, "Brazilian football is awesome!"

As for which round Brazil was eliminated from the tournament, he couldn't recall exactly, but he remembered it was either against Ghana or Egypt. After all, the most famous player in that Brazilian youth team was Adriano, and who knows how good Adriano was in 2001? If it weren't for various football programs revisiting the younger days of Adriano and Kaka and mentioning this fact, he wouldn't even have that vague memory.

Logically, it should have been Ghana, as the Egyptian team hadn't yet caused an upset by defeating a strong Brazilian team, but in the world of sports, nothing is certain. Young players are known for their unpredictability – they can be fiercely determined one moment and self-destructive the next. That's why even bookmakers rarely offer odds for such events, as the patterns are difficult to predict, and even the most skilled analysts struggle to determine the appropriate odds.

In short, for Brazil to win the championship, Kaka had to be an exceptional player and make a significant impact.

On June 13, 2001, five months after writing down his ten wishes, Kaka's sixth wish was about to be fulfilled, and in a manner exceeding his expectations: representing Brazil as the team captain in the U-20 World Cup in Argentina.

For young players from all nations, participating in this tournament was the highest recognition from their country, and many felt a sense of ceremonial pride as they stepped onto the airport tarmac, as if a legend was about to begin from that very moment.

The FIFA U-20 World Cup, formerly known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the second most prestigious tournament organized by FIFA after the World Cup. It is held every two years.

As the number of participating teams in the World Cup increased from 24 to 32, the U-20 World Cup also grew, with the number of teams increasing from 16 to 24.

As FIFA's second flagship event, the U-20 World Cup serves as a grand showcase of each country's football talent pipeline, where the most gifted young stars from 24 nations gather. Many believe that these players will form the core of the global football scene for the next decade.

Logically, such an event should have garnered significant attention and extensive coverage from sports media worldwide, with fans eagerly anticipating it. However, some isolated reports dealt a blow to these young men's excitement, who had spent an entire evening styling their hair for the occasion.

For instance, only around 1,500 tickets were sold for the opening ceremony...

Keep in mind that this was taking place in Argentina, a country where football is immensely popular, not the United States, where they don't even use their feet to play football. Such a low turnout was undoubtedly a cold reception for the young players.

Of course, these were young lads, and as long as a few girls were present on the sidelines, they could treat a simple practice match as if it were a World Cup final, playing with full intensity and a desire to win. Moreover, this was the U-20 World Cup, an absolute cradle of future superstars.

Legends like Diego Maradona (1979), Marco van Basten (1983), Taffarel (1985), Paulo Futre (1989), Roberto Carlos (1991), Raul Gonzalez (1995), Thierry Henry (1997), and Ronaldinho (1999) were all relatively unknown until they made their mark at the U-20 World Cup. Many of them used this tournament as a stepping stone to join the illustrious clubs in the top European leagues.

Everyone was eager to emulate their predecessors and make a name for themselves, but they probably forgot that while each U-20 World Cup unveiled countless talents, only a few were remembered after the test of time.

For some, the experience of playing on the world stage was exhilarating, but for others, it was daunting and overwhelming.

(End of Chapter)