Ronaldo's Invitation

Lin only found out later how close he had come to winning the Ballon d'Or, with just a small gap between his score and Ronaldo's. Even he was surprised by how narrow the margin was.

However, Lin was quite relaxed about it. In an interview, he first congratulated Ronaldo, saying that he deserved the Ballon d'Or. Then, he looked ahead to this year's Ballon d'Or, stating that since he came so close last year, there was no reason not to aim for it this year.

The media took Lin's statement as a sign that he was officially joining the race for the Ballon d'Or.

At the time, criticism of Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or win was at its peak, so when Lin's comments reached Ronaldo, Ronaldo called Lin to thank him personally.

"Lin, thank you for speaking up for me. I'm having a party in Madrid next week. Would you like to come?"

Ronaldo, having finally won his second Ballon d'Or, was eager to celebrate with his friends and family. Although Lin and Ronaldo hadn't interacted much before, Ronaldo had been paying attention to him for some time.

Last summer, there were rumors about Lin joining Real Madrid, and Florentino Pérez had even asked Ronaldo for his opinion on the potential transfer. Ronaldo had welcomed the idea of Lin joining Real Madrid, but it didn't happen, and they lost the chance to play together.

Now, taking the opportunity of Lin's support, Ronaldo wanted to connect with this rising star in the football world.

There weren't many players in football who would receive a personal invitation from Ronaldo. However, Lin didn't immediately agree.

"When exactly is it next week? I need to check my schedule."

If it had been someone else, Ronaldo might have withdrawn the invitation. But he was unusually patient this time. "January 21st. How about it? Are you free?"

Lin checked his schedule. On January 18th, Manchester City would be playing Cardiff City at home, and after that, their next game wasn't until January 25th, an FA Cup match. With a week in between, the team would likely have three days off, so he did have some free time.

"Alright, I'll definitely be there. By the way, should I bring a date?"

At such parties, it's often customary to bring a date, especially since Ronaldo's family would be attending.

"Up to you!" Ronaldo replied briefly before hanging up.

Whether Lin brought a date or not didn't matter much to Ronaldo. As long as Lin came, that was enough. After all, in a city like Madrid, finding someone to accompany you shouldn't be a problem.

Just after ending the call with Ronaldo, Lin received another call from his national team teammate, Iniesta.

"Lin, we're organizing a charity match this weekend. Do you have time to join?"

"Iniesta, when does the charity match start?"

"On January 22nd, at Camp Nou. The team captains are Maradona and Ronaldo!"

Hearing those two legendary names, Lin immediately guessed that this must be a charity match organized by Barcelona.

Last summer, Real Madrid had organized a friendly match at the Bernabéu, featuring a team of Real Madrid legends against Juventus legends. Now, Barcelona was organizing a similar event during the winter break, likely as a counter to Real Madrid.

It was interesting how the two clubs not only competed on the pitch but also off it—truly arch-rivals.

Both Maradona and Ronaldo had played for Barcelona, so this match was likely to feature Barcelona legends or current players. Although Lin had come from La Masia, he had never played for Barcelona's first team, and the thought of returning to Camp Nou made him a bit hesitant.

"Have you got all the players you need? Still looking for anyone?"

"Not yet, we're still short of a few players. If you know any stars who might be interested, they'd be more than welcome to join us!"

Iniesta's response reassured Lin, making him realize that he might have been overthinking it.

"Alright, I'll reach out and see who's available!"

After finishing the call with Iniesta, Lin posted a tweet:

"January 22nd, ALS Charity Match: Team Maradona vs. Team Ronaldo. Interested players, sign up quickly!"

After posting, Lin set his phone aside and went to training. When he checked his phone later that evening, he found a flood of messages.

Marco Reus: "Count me in! Hey, let big brother take care of you, make you look good!"

Lin replied with a thumbs-up emoji, playfully acknowledging Reus.

Kevin De Bruyne: "Charity match? Sounds fun, I'm in!"

Álvaro Morata: "Me, me, me! How can such an important match happen without the invincible Morata?"

David Silva: "Is it the charity match organized by Iniesta? Count me in!"

Sergio Agüero: "Sounds interesting. Can I join?"

Lin: "Sure, as long as you're not afraid of your father-in-law, Maradona, breaking your legs!"

Agüero: "Exactly why I'll join Ronaldo's team! Haha, I know Messi will be with Maradona. I'd love to see what it's like to play against him!"

Lin: "Alright then, now you've got another childhood friend who wants to break your legs!"

In addition to Lin's teammates and friends, a few other people expressed interest, surprising Lin.

Bayern Munich's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer sent him a friend request. After Lin accepted, Neuer immediately said, "I want to join, as your opponent!"

Lin scratched his head. Why did Neuer sound like a scorned lover? Did I offend him at some point? He couldn't remember.

But if Neuer was going to join the opposing team, Lin knew he needed a top-notch goalkeeper on his side as well. He thought of his national team teammate, Iker Casillas, and was about to message him when Gianluigi Buffon reached out instead.

"Hey, kid, need a goalkeeper? If you don't mind an old man of 35, count me in!"

Buffon volunteering to join took Lin by surprise. With Buffon, widely regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world, on their side, their goal would be well protected.

Just as Lin finished replying to Buffon, another unexpected message came in. Ronaldo also sent Lin a private message, saying he was interested in the match.

Honestly, Ronaldo's willingness to join the charity match completely caught Lin off guard. He didn't consider his relationship with Ronaldo to be particularly close, so it couldn't have been out of personal favor. Was it because of Messi?

Even in a charity match, the competitive Ronaldo might still want to prove himself against Messi. Ah, that insatiable desire to win.

After Buffon joined, he even brought along his old teammate Andrea Pirlo. Hearing that Pirlo was participating, Gennaro Gattuso also expressed interest.

Lin was amazed at his influence in the football world, even surprising himself. He had initially expected only a few people to join, thinking he'd just bring De Bruyne along for fun. But the response had been overwhelming!

Now he wondered if Iniesta and the others would be shocked when they saw the lineup he was bringing to Camp Nou.

...

On January 18th, in the 22nd round of the Premier League, Manchester City faced Cardiff City at home.

This match was the debut for City's two new signings, De Bruyne and Kroos, which drew a large crowd of fans to the stadium.

Cardiff City wasn't a strong team, currently ranked third from the bottom in the league, with one foot already in the relegation zone. Desperate to stay up, they were determined to give their all, even against a formidable team like Manchester City.

However, by halftime, City had already scored three goals. De Bruyne, starting for the first time, showed great chemistry with Lin, providing an assist for him and scoring a stunning free-kick himself.

De Bruyne's outstanding performance earned cheers and applause from the fans at the stadium.

Although De Bruyne's transfer fee wasn't as high as Kroos's, his performance made City fans feel like they had struck gold.

Seeing De Bruyne play so well, City manager Manuel Pellegrini was overjoyed. In the second half, he substituted Fernandinho with the other new signing, Kroos.

Kroos wasn't the same type of player as De Bruyne. He was someone who controlled the game's tempo. Once he was on the field, he seamlessly connected the defense with the attack, making everything flow smoothly.

Though he wasn't yet fully in sync with his teammates, leading to a few mistakes, it didn't affect the overall game.

After Kroos entered, Manchester City completely controlled the match's rhythm. Cardiff City's attempts to fight back felt like punching a pillow—ineffective and exhausting. The more they struggled, the more they were ensnared in City's tempo, like a noose tightening around their necks until they suffocated.

By the end of the match, City comfortably secured a 4-0 victory, further solidifying their position at the top of the league.

After the match, Lin, with two goals and an assist, received the highest rating of 9.2. De Bruyne, with a goal and an assist, earned a high score of 7.8, and Kroos, who came on as a substitute, received a solid 7.5.

From the fans' perspective, De Bruyne's performance with his imaginative passes might have seemed more impressive. However, for those who truly understood football, Kroos's contributions on the field were invaluable.

City had long lacked a central midfield playmaker, and Kroos filled that gap. When

 he and De Bruyne played together, one linked the defense to the midfield, while the other connected the midfield to the attack.

With Lin freed up to focus more on attacking the goal, City's offense became more potent, and their transitions from defense to attack were lightning fast.

However, this combination wasn't without its flaws. Both players weren't particularly strong defensively or in physical confrontations. If they faced a team that engaged them in a midfield battle, City's lack of toughness could become a liability.

After the league match, Pellegrini gave the team five days off. The next league match wasn't until January 29th, giving them 11 days, during which the players could rest.

As for the FA Cup match on January 25th, since City's opponent was a Championship team with relatively weak strength, Pellegrini planned to field a reserve lineup.

City's recent schedule had been packed, and even over Christmas, the players didn't get a break. With the fixture list finally easing up, Pellegrini knew he had to give the players some time off, or they might revolt.

Lin had initially thought Pellegrini would only give them three days off and had been considering asking for some extra time off. But he was pleasantly surprised when Pellegrini, understanding the situation, extended the break to five days.

This meant Lin didn't have to request any extra time off.

What Lin didn't know was that Pellegrini had indeed planned for just three days off, but after learning that Lin would be playing in the charity match on January 22nd, he decided to extend the break by two more days. This way, Lin could have a day to rest after the match, ensuring he wouldn't be too exhausted.

Pellegrini was doing everything he could to protect Lin.

...

On January 21st, Lin arrived in Madrid with Lily Collins right on time.

Ronaldo's party was held at an upscale club. By the time Lin arrived, many guests were already there, including some of Ronaldo's former Manchester United teammates, current Real Madrid teammates, and close friends.

Seeing Lin arrive with his girlfriend, Ronaldo, along with his girlfriend, Irina Shayk, immediately came over to greet him.

"Lin, you finally made it!"

Lin extended his hand to shake Ronaldo's, but instead, Ronaldo pulled him into a warm hug, which caught Lin off guard. Wasn't Ronaldo supposed to be aloof? Turns out, he's quite warm in person. Maybe you can't believe everything you hear.

"Is this your girlfriend? Aren't you going to introduce her?" 

After introducing his girlfriend Irina to Lin, Ronaldo waited for Lin to introduce his date.

"Uh, this is my girlfriend, Lily Collins. Lily, this is Cristiano Ronaldo, the newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner and one of the top football stars in the world!"

Lily, confident and composed, extended her hand. "Congratulations, Mr. Ronaldo!"

Hearing Lin's words made Ronaldo feel delighted. He'd heard plenty of compliments before, but getting Lin's recognition meant a lot. Lin was widely considered to be on par with the "Super Duo" in terms of talent, so his approval was the best compliment Ronaldo could receive.

Though Ronaldo always appeared confident in public, internally, he had his doubts. When Messi won his fourth consecutive Ballon d'Or, Ronaldo had even questioned his abilities. Winning this year's Ballon d'Or had helped him regain his confidence, preventing a complete collapse of his self-belief.

After handing over the gift they'd brought, Lin and Lily, guided by Ronaldo and Irina, were led to the men's and women's lounges, respectively.

"There are some familiar teammates here who will look after you. I need to attend to other guests, so I'll catch up with you later."

Ronaldo patted Lin on the shoulder, greeted his teammates Casillas and Ramos, and then left the lounge.

"Lin, come over here!"

Ramos waved to Lin, motioning for him to sit between him and Casillas. It seemed they had saved this spot for Lin. Morata was also at the party, but he didn't get such a prime seat and had to sit at the edge.

"So, how does it feel to miss out on the Ballon d'Or by such a small margin?" Casillas asked with a smile.

For him and Ramos, given their positions, winning the Ballon d'Or was nearly impossible. And neither of them had played at a level that would earn them that honor, so they figured Lin must be feeling a bit frustrated and disappointed.

But to their surprise, Lin seemed unbothered, even relaxed.

"It feels like I benefited from the rule change. If FIFA hadn't extended the voting period, I doubt I would have even made it to the final three."

Messi had been leading in votes initially, even ahead of Ribéry. But when FIFA allowed votes to be changed, Messi was sidelined with an injury, causing him to lose a lot of votes.

"Heh, rules can change, but no matter how much they change, if you didn't perform well, no one would vote for you!" Ramos noted.

Lin nodded and suddenly thought of something. The Ballon d'Or votes were cast by national team captains and coaches. As Spain's captain, who had Casillas voted for with his top pick?

"Captain, did you vote for Ronaldo or me with your first vote?"

Casillas, in the middle of peeling an orange, choked and coughed violently when he heard Lin's question.

"Cough, cough, cough… Of course…"

"Of course, I voted for Ronaldo!"

Casillas finally managed to get the words out, earning an exaggerated eye roll from Lin.

"Captain, I can't believe you, of all people, betrayed the cause!"

Lin pointed at Casillas, pretending to be heartbroken.

Casillas hurriedly explained, "I didn't know you'd get so many votes! I thought making the top five would be impressive enough—who knew you'd finish second?"

"Wow, so it's my fault?"

"Hehe, not at all. But if I'd known, I would have given you my first vote!"

Casillas had indeed been in a difficult position. As both Real Madrid and Spain's captain, he was under pressure from Florentino Pérez, Real Madrid's president, who had campaigned hard to rally support for Ronaldo. Naturally, as captain, Casillas was expected to back his club's star player, so his first vote went to Ronaldo.

Each voter had three votes, with the first counting for five points, the second for three points, and the third for one point. So, the first vote was crucial in determining the winner.

In the official voting results published by FIFA, Lin had received many votes, but his first-place votes were much lower than Ronaldo's, which was where he lost out.

"Alright, I forgive you. But at least tell me you gave me your second vote?"

"Uh, no, actually… I gave you my third vote!" Casillas quickly responded, earning another glare from Lin.

Ramos, curious, asked, "So who got your second vote?"

Casillas blushed, hesitating before answering, "Uh… I voted for myself..."