The special quality of Maxi

Time passed quickly in Maxi's excitement, and soon he was on his way to Gothenburg, Sweden.

His team, Bayern's U13s, traveled to the tournament by plane, along with several other youth divisions. There were many other youth football clubs on the same flight as well. After all, the Gothia Cup is the biggest youth tournament in the world, attracting teams from numerous countries. Scouts and famous visitors flock to it.

Many stars once played in this tournament in their youth, such as Xabi Alonso, Alan Shearer, Andrea Pirlo, Zé Roberto, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and many more.

The flight to Gothenburg Airport took around two hours.

As the plane took off, Maxi's heart raced, his fingers gripping the armrest tightly. It wasn't fear, but a strange mix of excitement and anxiety. The rush of the takeoff was exhilarating. But soon, the novelty wore off, and his attention wandered to the clouds outside. His mind, however, was already on the games to come.

When the plane landed, the team was transferred to a beautiful hotel that Bayern had booked. They spent the night there, sharing rooms four players to each.

The next day, the opening ceremony began.

Held at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg each year, the ceremony takes place in the stadium that was originally built for the 1956 World Cup. Over time, it's hosted many concerts and key Gothia Cup matches. The stadium holds up to 43,000 people.

Maxi was stunned by the sheer number of people in the stadium. It was sold out, as it is nearly every year for the opening ceremony.

Maxi had seen crowds before, but there was something electric about this—a sea of faces, all gathered for a youth tournament. The realization hit him harder than expected: these thousands were here to watch kids like him.

The ceremony featured a large choreographed performance and a mini-concert, with many songs being played. Maxi wasn't too interested, his mind was already focused on the pitch, eagerly waiting for it all to end.

After about half an hour, the ceremony was finally over.

The opening match featured the U18 champions of last year, Wolverhampton Wanderers FC from England, against the runners-up, Cruzeiro EC from Brazil. Last year, Wolverhampton had won 3-2.

This year's match was intense and action-packed. After both teams scored four goals each, it ended in a penalty shootout, where Wolverhampton Wanderers won 4-2.

Maxi, however, wasn't too focused on this match. It was in the U19 division, and his mind was solely on his U13 team.

Their first game was scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Each game would last half an hour. It was currently 9:00 a.m.

Maxi's team had already been assigned their group, consisting of six teams. No major threats were in sight, and Bayern was expected to dominate.

Each team would play five matches, facing every other team in the group. The top two teams would advance to the knockout rounds. If a team made it all the way to the final, they would play a total of 11 matches in just six days. Two matches per day, except for the final.

This tight schedule was made possible by the sheer number of games being played simultaneously across about 100 football fields throughout Gothenburg and its surroundings.

Maxi and his team started strong, easily winning their first game. This momentum continued throughout the group stage. Bayern's U13 team finished the group with five wins and an impressive goal ratio of 59:3.

They were the team with the most goals in the U13 division and were seen as favorites to win the tournament.

Three other teams stood out. Ajax, led by young talent Matthijs de Ligt, boasted a goal ratio of 20:0, thanks to De Ligt's brilliant defense. AC Milan followed closely with 18:0, with Gianluigi Donnarumma playing a key role in maintaining their clean sheet. Monaco, featuring Kylian Mbappé, had a 45:5 ratio.

Maxi led the tournament in goals with 38, while Mbappé followed with 30. Maxi also ranked in the top 20 for assists, with 13, making him the tournament's top scorer by a comfortable margin.

But the easy phase was over—now the competition would get tougher.

By the third day, Bayern was ready for their first knockout match in the round of 64. They faced Utsiktens BK, a second-division Swedish club.

The match drew a crowd of three to five thousand, as Utsiktens was located near Gothenburg. For most of the players on the field, it was the largest audience they had ever played in front of.

Even Maxi felt nervous at first. But only for a moment.

Doubt flickered briefly in his mind—what if he couldn't live up to the hype? But then, it vanished as quickly as it had come. With every cheer and every jeer, his confidence solidified. He knew this was where he belonged.

Whether the crowd booed or cheered didn't matter—he loved every second of it. His body surged with adrenaline, and he felt alive.

Every time the ball touched his feet, it was as if the roars of the crowd fueled his movements. Where others cracked under pressure, Maxi thrived. He craved the attention, the expectations—it sharpened him.

While most of the other players were anxious, Maxi delivered an incredible performance. He scored nine goals, seven from steals, and two from free-kicks. What made it even more impressive was that he scored all nine goals without any help from his teammates.

His standout performance quickly spread throughout the tournament. Scouts and spectators took note, jotting down his name in their notebooks.

The Bayern coach decided to send a recording of the match back to the academy. Maxi's fearlessness under pressure was something special—a quality that could almost guarantee his future as a professional footballer.

When the tape reached Bayern's campus, Hermann Gerland watched it. Afterward, he made a call.

"Servus, Franz. Still haven't decided if you're going to the Gothia Cup final? Watch the video I just sent you," Gerland said before hanging up and sending the video.

Franz Beckenbauer, sitting in his office at the DFB (German Football Association), knew his old Bayern colleague's style. He watched the tape.

Beckenbauer had already been impressed by the young talent, Maximus Orion, in previous matches. But what he saw now impressed him even more. This time, it wasn't just physical talent—it was mental toughness. And that, above all, was what Beckenbauer valued.

Franz Beckenbauer decided that if Maximus made it to the Gothia Cup final, he would be there to watch. Whether it was for his role in the DFB or as Bayern's honorary president, he wanted to see the boy play.