The Focus Match, Watched by the World!
Paris, the capital of France.
After watching the replay of Spain's match against Finland, French coach Deschamps fell into deep thought.
The value of this match was limited. It was clear that Spain hadn't exerted much effort, and Finland had already crumbled.
However, he was certain that when facing France away, Spain would definitely not hold back.
This wasn't just because the two teams were the biggest competitors in their group but also because of the long-standing history and grudges between them.
Spain's history isn't as glorious as France's. If they want to establish their own dynasty, the best way is to completely defeat an old powerhouse like France to prove their strength.
The French, of course, did not want to let their scheme succeed. They couldn't accept losing at home.
This directly affected their chances of qualifying for the World Cup!
Only the first place in each group in the qualifiers can directly qualify for the World Cup. The remaining nine second-place teams compete in playoffs, and only the winners of the playoffs can qualify for the World Cup!
Currently, France is three points behind Spain. If they don't win this match, they will lose control of their destiny for first place in the group.
Even the chances of theoretically finishing first would be slim.
Given Spain's reliable ability to beat weaker teams, it's hard to hope the other teams in the group could give them any trouble.
If Spain wins the remaining matches, even if France wins all their remaining games, they can only finish second and have to play in the playoffs.
If France loses this match, they will have no hope for first place and can only try to gather points against weaker teams, praying to draw a weaker opponent in the playoffs.
Even drawing a weaker opponent is not safe.
History is full of upsets, as seen when a certain European champion team failed to qualify for the World Cup.
The European champion not making it to the World Cup? How could that be justified?
So, for this match, France could only accept victory; even a draw would not be acceptable.
But how could they win against Spain, the dual World Cup and European Championship holders?
Deschamps was so worried that he pulled at his hair. Fortunately, his hairline was still safe; otherwise, he'd soon resemble Del Bosque's receding hairline.
After thinking for a long time, Deschamps finally decided to take a gamble and put the young player Paul Pogba, whom he recruited from Juventus, into the starting lineup.
He was fed up with the clumsy midfielders of the French team, who had no creativity, leaving the team with a top-notch forward lineup but no one to deliver the ball to them.
Although Pogba is young, having just turned 20, his skills and awareness are unmatched by those clumsy players.
Pogba may be a tall, strong black player, seemingly a typical physical player, but don't be fooled by his appearance. This kid is a technical player, not a physical one.
Pogba is ambidextrous, able to shoot and pass perfectly with both feet, and he has delicate ball-handling skills, allowing him to deliver high-quality passes and shots.
Additionally, his excellent physical attributes grant him strong defensive capabilities and stamina, making him a very versatile midfielder.
His only disadvantage at the moment is his age.
Pogba is too young and lacks experience, especially in big matches.
This is why Deschamps previously didn't dare to use him as a main player.
But thinking about the young player in the Spanish team, he couldn't help but want to give it a try.
The Spanish number thirty is even younger than Pogba. If he can do it, why can't Pogba?
...
On March 25, the Spanish national team arrived in Paris by plane.
French fans and media were wary of the Invincible Armada's arrival. They gathered near the airport, holding up banners supporting the French team, warning Spain that this was the land of the Gauls, and they wouldn't tolerate any Spanish arrogance.
But the Spanish players were unfazed, exuding a confidence and composure of the strong.
This infuriated the French, who thought the Spaniards were too arrogant.
"Damn Spaniards, just wait to lose at the Stade de France tomorrow!"
"What invincible armada, tomorrow is your doomsday!"
...
The match hadn't even started, but fans from both countries were already cursing at each other online.
Spanish fans mocked France as a fallen aristocracy, declining ever since winning the World Cup in 1998, failing even to qualify from the group stage in the last World Cup.
How could such a team compare to the World Cup and European Championship holders?
French fans were not to be outdone, ridiculing Spanish football as boring and weak.
They believed that under the impact of the French players, Spain would surely crumble.
While boasting online, betting companies were cautious about France's chances.
European betting companies offered half-ball odds in favor of Spain, cautiously optimistic about the Spaniards.
Asian betting companies were even more aggressive, offering a full-ball advantage for Spain, clearly expecting Spain to win away.
French fans were dissatisfied:
"Damn betting companies, what do they know about football?
Brothers, trust me on this, bet on France. With the current high odds, you'll make a fortune if you bet early!"
A French blogger urged fans to bet on their team winning.
However, not many French fans responded. Instead, a group of Spanish fans came over to mock him:
"I'm Spanish, and I can prove that Spain's team is rubbish, definitely no match for France!"
"Exactly, Spain's midfielders are so weak. How can they compare to the physical strength of the French team? France will definitely win this match!"
"Well said. I'm Spanish, and I'm betting on France to prove my point. Look, here's my betting slip!"
A Spanish fan posted a screenshot of their bet, but careful fans noticed he had actually bet on France to lose.
Spectators from other countries couldn't stand by and watch anymore.
"French fans, don't be fooled. The Spaniards are trying to trick you into raising the prize pool so they can win more money!"
A German fan analyzed the situation objectively.
Ordinary people are not as professional as betting companies. These companies' data analysts combine the teams' states and players' strengths to make these analyses and judgments for a reason.
Why would an ordinary fan challenge the professionals' judgment with their amateur opinions?
But his comment was quickly buried due to too many downvotes.
"Damn, someone exposed our plan. Brothers, downvote him quickly. Don't let the French see it!"
The united Spanish fans collectively downvoted the comment, not letting the German spoil their chance to make money.
...
With extensive media coverage, the team's dire qualification situation, a strong opponent, and many calls for French fans to support their team in person, the French people's patriotism was ignited.
Those who could buy tickets went to the stadium to cheer.
Those who couldn't get tickets gathered in nearby bars or squares outside the stadium to watch, and the least they did was sit at home watching TV to cheer on their team.
On the match day, the Stade de France, which can hold 80,000 spectators, was packed.
Even the usually indifferent French fans, who usually didn't support their national team due to its diversity, came to watch this crucial and exciting match.
Of course, if they could see their team win, that would be even better.
The match between France and Spain was set for 8 p.m. on March 26. By then, most of the other matches in this round of qualifiers had ended.
In the just-concluded Group F match, Cristiano Ronaldo led Portugal to a 2-0 victory over Azerbaijan, securing three points and improving their qualification chances.
After the match, the Portuguese team returned to their hotel, where they saw the live broadcast of the France-Spain match in the lobby.
Most Portuguese players glanced at it casually before heading to their rooms to rest.
But when Ronaldo saw the player wearing number 30, he paused.
It's him!?
He remembered meeting this rising star at the Ballon d'Or ceremony and hearing Florentino hinting about bringing him to Real Madrid.
Thinking of this, Ronaldo stopped walking.
The world says you're strong. I want to see just how strong you are.
...
In a hotel room in South America.
Messi, wearing slippers, came out of the bathroom, glanced at the clock on the wall, picked up the remote, and turned on the TV.
The live broadcast was showing the match between France and Spain.
Messi looked a bit tired and seemed unhappy.
In the just-concluded South American qualifiers, Argentina was held to a 1-1 draw by Bolivia.
Messi missed several chances in this match, failing to lead his team to victory.
This led to criticism and doubt from the outside world. With the failure at the South African World Cup, many started to question Messi, doubting if he could lead Argentina to success.
Some even questioned his commitment, believing he didn't give his all in national team matches.
Otherwise, how could he explain his club success while struggling with the national team?
Faced with these doubts and criticisms, Messi didn't respond.
Explaining is futile. Only by performing better on the pitch can he silence these critics.
To become stronger, Messi had been studying Lin's matches, hoping to learn from his performances and find his own shortcomings.
Lin, to Messi, was like a mirror, helping him find his strengths and weaknesses to improve.
This was much more effective than figuring out his mistakes on his own.
As the match began, Messi sat in front of the TV, focused, hoping Lin would inspire him.
...
Manchester, England, at Carrington Training Ground.
As usual, Ferguson sat in his office, enjoying a glass of aged wine while watching the focus match between France and Spain
.
Despite the simultaneous broadcast of England's match against Montenegro, the legendary manager had no interest.
Montenegro was a weak team, not a threat to England.
Compared to that dull match, the clash between France and Spain was much more intriguing.
Especially since there was a young player he admired, Ferguson was eager to see what brilliance he would display.
...
In France, at the Stade de France.
Guardiola, who had just been officially announced as Bayern's new coach, was in a box at the stadium.
He was there both as an ordinary fan to support Spain and as Bayern's coach to assess Lin's performance.
It was strange; although he had watched many of Lin's matches, he had never considered how to use him as a coach until now.
Given Lin's similarity to Messi, and him being the coach who used Messi best, he should know how to use Lin.
But every team's roster and tactics are different. Bayern isn't Barcelona and doesn't have the same midfield setup or ingrained tiki-taka philosophy.
So he couldn't just apply Barcelona's tactics to Bayern because Lin was similar to Messi.
He needed to find a balance between Bayern's traditional strengths and the advanced ideas he believed were the future of football to achieve a perfect fusion.
This was not an easy task.
Thinking of this, Guardiola couldn't suppress his urge to experiment.
...
In the players' tunnel, Lin stood calmly among the Spanish team, waiting to take the field.
Most Spanish players were as composed as Lin, showing little tension.
On the other hand, some young players making their debut for France were visibly nervous, even making the sign of the cross repeatedly.
Lin glanced at them, meeting the eyes of one.
The flamboyant hairstyle made it clear it was Paul Pogba.
Pogba's eyes showed admiration and envy. He envied Lin, who was so young yet already a mainstay in the Spanish national team.
He had just joined the national team and was uncertain about his future.
Thinking about this match, being thrust into the spotlight against Spain's championship-caliber midfield, Pogba felt anxious. If he didn't perform well, would he have a place in the national team in the future?
Young Pogba was indeed inexperienced, but Lin didn't doubt his talent.
He clearly remembered that Pogba would eventually return to Manchester United for a world-record transfer fee of 105 million euros.
Whether Manchester United's investment was worth it is debatable.
Rebuilding teams often splurged but seemed to make poor choices.
This was true for Manchester United after Ferguson and later for Barcelona.