Ronaldo: You Play Great, Come Play Professionally with Me!

After the game ended, there was no sign of frustration or sadness on the faces of the Tahiti players. They didn't seem to care about the score, clearly having mentally prepared for a disastrous loss beforehand. 

More than the result, they were interested in exchanging jerseys after the game. Normally, they could only see these Spanish stars on TV, but now, they stood right in front of them. When else could they ask for jerseys and autographs?

So, after the game, they swarmed over, hoping to exchange jerseys with the Spanish players. The Spanish players, feeling a bit embarrassed after winning by such a large margin, agreed readily.

As a young player on the team, Lin thought not many would want to exchange jerseys with him. Surprisingly, he turned out to be one of the most popular players, second only to Iniesta. Three players wanted to exchange jerseys with him, and one jersey wasn't enough.

Usually, players just exchanged jerseys, but these guys wanted Lin's shorts, socks, and even his shoes. Lin found it both amusing and annoying. These guys weren't just players—they were like a bunch of fans!

But when he saw Iniesta stripped to his underwear and Xavi, who hadn't played a single minute, also stripped clean, he felt a bit better.

"Darn, why doesn't anyone want to exchange jerseys with me?" 

Morata was upset. He thought, as a Real Madrid player, he should at least get some recognition. Even if he didn't get the same treatment as Lin and Iniesta, someone could have exchanged jerseys with him.

"Once you're a regular at Real Madrid and as famous as Cristiano Ronaldo, then maybe."

Morata pouted. Being as famous as Ronaldo? That's no small feat. Having worked with him, Morata knew just how incredible Ronaldo was. He was still a long way from that level. Moreover, there were rumors that the club was in talks with a fast Welsh winger. If that player joined, Morata's chances at Real Madrid would diminish even further.

Thinking of this, Morata felt a bit down. As a product of Real Madrid's youth academy, he had a deep connection with the club and wanted to make a name for himself there. He didn't want to leave, but if that Welsh player was as good as they said, he might have to consider it.

### Post-Match Break

After the game against Tahiti, Spain secured their spot in the next round. They only needed to avoid losing to Nigeria by 13 goals to secure first place in their group. Given Spain's strength, no team in the world could beat them by 13 goals. So, they effectively secured the top spot.

With this in mind, Del Bosque gave the team a day off to enjoy Brazil's sun and beaches. The players cheered and applauded the coach for his decision. After packing quickly, they all rushed out.

Rio de Janeiro is a famous tourist city known for its sunshine and beaches. Besides the beautiful scenery, the Spanish players were also attracted to the various beautiful women on the beach. 

Because of Brazil's crime rate, Del Bosque reminded the players not to go out alone and to travel in groups. Lin, Morata, and some other young players decided to go out together.

"This one gets a 9. Perfect body, face an 8!" 

Morata and the others lay on lounge chairs, rating the passing women.

"Not good enough. Look at that one, she's the real deal!"

"Get out of here. This one's even more charming, she's winking at me!"

Morata acted like an expert, with a "I know it all" attitude.

Chelsea's young defender, Azpilicueta, looked at him with admiration. "Martin, you know your stuff!"

"Of course, I'm famous in all the nightclubs in Madrid. How could I not know?"

"Come on, let's go hit on some girls. Just watching is boring; we need to take action!"

Azpilicueta nodded eagerly, but Isco was reluctant. He felt it was beneath him to hang out with Morata when their real leader was Lin. However, Lin wasn't interested in the women; he had gone to play beach soccer instead.

Beach soccer? Isco was curious and went to watch.

After a few minutes, he was stunned. Who was that fat guy opposite Lin, performing the step-over so well? And the other guy with the big buck teeth, wearing a black wool hat, and a scruffy beard, who looked shockingly ugly when he smiled? His elastico was amazing!

Isco was amazed. No wonder Brazil was called the kingdom of football; even their beach soccer players were this good! Despite Lin's prowess, his team was trailing by a point. Wait a minute, Isco took a closer look and finally recognized the two scruffy guys—they were Ronaldinho and Ronaldo! It had been a while since he last saw them, but how had they gotten so out of shape? 

Ronaldo was understandable since he'd retired over two years ago. South American players weren't known for their discipline, and it was common for them to gain weight after retirement. But Ronaldinho?

Isco remembered that Ronaldinho hadn't retired yet, though he was no longer playing in the top leagues. His appearance management was terrible. The unkempt beard and greasy hat seemed unwashed for days.

Shaking his head, Isco focused on the game. Beach soccer rules differ from regular football; it's more like basketball, with three 12-minute periods. Substitutions can happen anytime, and substituted players can re-enter, unless they receive a red card.

Unlike regular football, beach soccer is played barefoot, a real test of skill for those used to wearing cleats. Lin was struggling in the first period, and his team was trailing by a goal. Ronaldinho set up Ronaldo for a signature step-over, dribbling past the goalkeeper to score.

In the second period, Lin adapted, working with his teammates to equalize. However, Ronaldinho's brilliant chip and turn saw his team lead 2-1 by the end of the second period.

The exciting match drew a crowd as more people recognized Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. 

"Who's that guy? Ronaldinho and Ronaldo can't beat him?"

"Looks like an Asian, maybe Japanese?"

Brazil has a large Japanese immigrant population, over two million strong.

"No, I think I've seen him on TV. He seems to be a Spanish player?"

"Oh yeah, I remember now! He was amazing in the game against Uruguay, scoring two goals!"

"Seriously? Is Uruguay that weak?"

With the Confederations Cup in Brazil and Spain as their main rival, many locals watched Spain's matches and quickly recognized Lin. Realizing he was a Spanish national player, the crowd's curiosity peaked: Would the Ronaldinho-Ronaldo duo triumph, or would the Spanish prodigy turn the game around?

The third period began, and Lin, now fully adapted to barefoot play, performed significantly better. Ronaldo and Ronaldinho were surprised by his improvement. Ronaldo decided to mark Lin personally, using his near 100-kilogram frame to dominate physical confrontations. Lin found it hard to move him and changed his strategy, shifting the ball left, feinting a left move, and then shifting right. Ronaldo adjusted his balance but couldn't keep up. Lin then shifted back to the left, tricking Ronaldo, and executed a quick step-over, bypassing Ronaldo and scoring to equalize.

Ronaldo was stunned, realizing Lin's move resembled his own step-over but was even more deceptive due to simultaneous ball and body movements.

"How does it feel?" Ronaldinho asked Ronaldo, who admitted Lin's ball control and flexibility surpassed his own. Ronaldinho decided to defend Lin himself, confident in his active playing status. Lin's initial feint left didn't fool Ronaldinho, but Lin's swift elastico caught him off guard, allowing Lin to score again and win the match 3-2.

"Hey kid, you played great! How old are you?" Ronaldo approached Lin after satisfying fans' autograph requests. 

"Lin is 17 years and 5 months old!" Isco, excited to see his childhood idol, answered for Lin.

"Only 17? Incredible!" Ronaldo was impressed by Lin's skills at such a young age and offered to introduce him to professional clubs in Brazil. 

Both Lin and Isco were stunned. Realizing the misunderstanding, Ronaldinho clarified, "He's Spain's main forward and plays for Barcelona."

Ronaldo was taken aback, apologized for not keeping up with La Liga, and promised to watch Lin's future matches. Ronaldinho considered reminding Ronaldo that Lin played in the Bundesliga but decided against it, knowing Ronaldo barely watched La Liga, let alone the Bundesliga.

As they left, Ronaldinho, impressed by Lin's performance, decided to buy tickets for Spain's next match against Nigeria to see him play again.