The German locker room still smelled of sweat and glory.Wet towels. Muddy boots.Bodies worn down from battle.
But the smiles…said it all.
Germany had made it to the U-20 World Cup Final.
And as the players changed and rehydrated,a giant screen in the common room displayed the kickoff of the second semifinal:
Spain vs Portugal.
The Other Clash
Mateo sat between Lukas and Jonas, hair still damp,as the teams took the field at Santiago's National Stadium.
The camera zoomed in on the Spanish captain.Lamine Yamal.
Recovered from his recent injury,the number 10 of La Roja looked sharp—lethal.
Around him:
Alejandro Martínez, a magician in midfield.
Iker Ríos, a wingback with the soul of a forward.
Gael Cebrián, Real Madrid's golden prospect, calm and cerebral.
With Yamal back, Spain looked like a machine.
Total Domination
It didn't take long for Spain to seize control.
14th minute:A beautiful through ball from Martínez.Yamal received, faked with his left, cut to his right, and finished low.
1–0 Spain.
Mateo clenched his fists.
29th minute:High press recovery by Spain.Iker Ríos whipped in a cross, Cebrián nodded it clean into the net.
2–0.
Portugal had no answers.
67th minute:Yamal danced past three defenders.A double feint.He rolled the ball, spun, then fed Martínez for a cold strike into the bottom corner.
3–0. Game over.
The Shadow of a Name
Back in the locker room, the German boys couldn't stop talking:
—"Did you see Yamal?"—"You can't touch him."—"Spain's playing like the trophy's already theirs."
Mateo listened in silence.
His chest tightened.Not out of fear.But pressure. Expectation.
And something else…
Desire.
Mateo's Thoughts
"Lamine…"
"You and I…"
He had felt it since his first match.That invisible string pulling him toward this final showdown.
Yamal, Barcelona's prodigy.Mateo, the son of two nations, marked by pain and promise.
"I want to face you again.""I want to test everything I've become."
"But this time…""I'll be the one lifting the trophy."
Inside the System:
[Final Opponent Confirmed: Spain 🇪🇸]
[Key Threats Detected:
Lamine Yamal (Position: RW)
Alejandro Martínez (CM)
Gael Cebrián (CAM)]
[Final Quest Unlocked:World ChampionObjective: Defeat Spain in FinalReward: ???]
Mateo exhaled deeply.
The pressure was building.
The eyes of the world would be watching.
But beyond the lights, beyond the roar...
He knew this final wasn't just about a trophy.
It was about something greater.
His place in football history.