As soon as Mateo whispered "Confirm,"a wave of golden light swallowed him whole.
He felt weightless,his body stretching across time and space,until reality itself shifted.
When the light faded...
He was no longer Mateo González Schwarz.
He was Lionel Messi.
New Senses Awaken
The first thing Mateo noticed was the weight —not physical, but emotional.
The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium roared around him,a wall of hostility aimed squarely at him.
He felt the hate.The pressure.The tension thick enough to choke on.
And yet...inside?
Perfect stillness.
No fear.No panic.
Only a pure, burning focus.
He could feel the Barça jersey clinging to his skin.The perfect fit of his boots.The ball, when it touched his foot, felt like an extension of his own nervous system.
Everything was alive.Sharp.Clear.
"This... this is how he sees the game," Mateo realized in awe.
Messi's Thoughts: The Battlefield
When the ball came to his feet,it wasn't just about moving forward.
Every second, Messi's mind raced:
How far are the defenders?
Where is Pepe shifting his weight?
Can I slip between Ramos and Carvalho?
Where will Xavi run if I delay half a second?
Where is Casillas leaning? Left or right?
It was like playing chess at lightning speed —but with the body of a dancer.
Every small hesitation.Every twitch of a shoulder.Every breath from an opponent.
Messi saw it.
Calculated it.
Used it.
76th Minute: The First Strike
Barcelona's buildup was methodical.
Iniesta to Xavi.Xavi to Alves.Alves low across the box.
Messi sensed the opening a full second before it even appeared.
"Accelerate now," he thought.
"Get in front of Albiol."
He lunged forward, extending his left foot,tapping the ball beyond Casillas before the defenders could react.
GOAL.
The feeling?
Euphoria mixed with fire.
But not satisfied.Never satisfied.
Even as his teammates hugged him, Messi's mind was cold:
"One more. Finish them completely."
Mateo, feeling this from inside, shivered.
"Messi wasn't just playing.He was hunting."
87th Minute: The Masterpiece
Barcelona recovered the ball deep.
Xavi sent a short pass toward Messi.
As soon as the ball touched his foot,the world slowed down.
Mateo could feel it:
Arbeloa stepping forward too aggressively.
Ramos positioning too wide.
Pepe caught flat-footed.
"Weave through them," Messi thought.
No fear.
No second-guessing.
Just flow.
First touch, tighter than a whisper.
He accelerated past Arbeloa in a blink.Sliced between Ramos and Pepe with the smallest body feint.Skated past Lassana Diarra like water around a rock.
Now inside the box.
Casillas rushing out, arms wide.
"Soft touch. Low corner."
Messi caressed the ball,guiding it past Casillas into the empty net.
The moment the ball crossed the line,an overwhelming surge crashed over Mateo:
Triumph.Relief.Absolute domination.
He felt Messi's heart roaring inside his chest.
Not wild celebration.
A quiet certainty.
"This is where I belong," Messi thought.
"At the top of the world."
Mateo's Reflections
As the golden mist of the Memory Dive began pulling him back,Mateo clung to the sensations, the lessons:
The relentless scanning of the field.
The instinct to attack tiny positional errors.
The balance between cold calculation and daring improvisation.
The unbreakable mental shield against pressure.
"I can use this," Mateo thought fiercely.
"Not to be Messi...""But to be the best version of myself."
System Notification
[Memory Dive Complete.]
Rewards Earned:
+10% Match Awareness (Permanent Boost)
+10% Close Ball Control (Permanent Boost)
New Passive Skill: "Flow State"(Temporarily boosts dribbling and decision-making under high-pressure moments.)
As Mateo returned to his hotel bed,the golden light fading from his vision,he sat there for a long moment, breathing hard.
He was still Mateo González Schwarz.
But inside him now burned the memory of something greater.
Not just imitation.
Inspiration.
The road to the World Cup title wasn't getting easier.
Next was France.
But now?
Mateo wasn't afraid of anyone.