*In A distant future*
Two kids were playing fifa 2026 in their PS6 with heated argument going on, as their fathers watched amusedly from the couch . One was playing with Portugal, while the other Argentina. After a fierce match , Argentina lost 3-2.
The kid controlling Argentina threw away his controller in anger and yelled, " That's not fair! Your team has both uncle Ronaldo and Adriano! Adriano is total hax with cheating stats! "
The other kid smirked smugly, " Heh, your team also has your dad in it. Deal with it! "
Their fathers, now identified as an older Ronaldo and Messi laughed at their banter. Ronaldo chuckled and asked, " who is the better player kids? Me or Messi? "
Mateo blew a raspberry and said, " Dream on! Adriano is the best! His stat is 97 still!"
Ronaldo Jr nodded sagely, " Yeah dad, Uncle Adriano is GOAT. Can't defend you there."
Messi erupted into laughter and barely said," That was hilarious man. Even our kids aren't our fans anymore."
Ronaldo sighed and and smiled, " yeah, that guy has basically all the fans rooting for him. Feels like just yesterday when I met a 17 year old kid in Madrid, with a bright personality and admiration for me.
And Now, not just the fans, even I admire him. "
Messi chuckled, " Not just his skills, he's a good person and always looking to improve. Who knows what would have happened if he decided to play for Brazil that year?"
Ronaldo laughed, " Hey! Don't think those useless things. Now it's our turn to play!"
They laughed as they grabbed the controllers from their sons and started to play the game."
*Back to Story*
The aftermath of the Brazil vs. Germany match was nothing short of a global earthquake. The world of football was already on edge after the controversial officiating, but the situation escalated when FIFA President Sepp Blatter was officially removed from his position.
Investigations had finally caught up with him, uncovering a staggering amount of corruption, bribery, and favoritism that had tainted the sport for years.
The reaction was immediate and explosive.
Fans across the world took to social media, demanding justice for the teams that had suffered under FIFA's corruption.
News channels ran endless segments analyzing the shady dealings that had been exposed, while former players, coaches, and football pundits openly criticized the organization. Some were relieved that Blatter had finally been taken down, while others—mainly those who had benefited from his favoritism—remained suspiciously quiet.
In Brazil, the streets were a chaotic mix of celebration and outrage. Some fans defended their national team, arguing that a win was a win, while others were disgusted by how their victory had been tainted.
Meanwhile, in Germany, football legends and fans alike condemned the match, calling it a disgrace to the sport. The debate raged on, but one thing was clear—football had never felt more divided.
After everything that had happened, I needed a break. I retreated to my hotel room and dialed my parents, expecting a usual conversation filled with warmth and concern. What I got instead was my mother, Rosa, already mid-rant.
"Adriano, meu filho, are you feeling alright ? Did you see the match !" she shouted the moment she picked up. "These referees should be locked up! And those Brazilian players? A disgrace! A complete disgrace!"
I leaned back against my pillow, suppressing a laugh. "Mom, of course I saw it. I am probably going to play against them next week. Remember I already had a similar situation? "
"Oh, I remember, alright! I remember you getting kicked half to death and then getting a yellow card for it! I nearly threw the screens out the window in the box that day! These guys are ruining football.
Then Brazil went and done the same...."
Before I could respond, my father, ever the peacekeeper, decided to step in.
"Now, now, Rosa," he said gently. "We must acknowledge that Brazil played well—"
SMACK.
There was a brief silence. Then my father let out a small, pained "Ow."
I burst into laughter. "Dad, did she just hit you?"
"You bet I did!" my mother huffed. "How dare you defend them after what they did ? I sure hope those guys weren't the ones trying to get my boy eliminated. I will give them a piece of my mind!"
My father sighed. "I was just saying—"
"Well, don't!" Mom made him raise his hands in surrender.
Still chuckling, I decided to steer the conversation away from my father's impending doom. "Alright, alright, calm down. How are you both? Is the security I hired doing their job? Things might get a little crazy in Brazil after all this."
My mother exhaled sharply, still riled up. "Yes, the security is fine, but don't you worry about us! Focus on your game, son. We raised you to be a warrior, not a victim! Beat them all with your talent and skills, no matter how they cheat."
"I will, Mom. Don't go starting any riots, okay?"
"No promises." She chuckled.
I ended the call, shaking my head. My mother was a force of nature, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
After my call, I decided to join the rest of the team by the hotel pool. The atmosphere was lighter than expected, considering the turmoil in the football world.
Everyone was sprawled on lounge chairs, dipping their feet in the water, or casually floating in the pool, trying to process everything that had happened.
Bruno, always the conversation starter, was the first to speak. "Do you guys think this will happen again?" he asked, his voice laced with uncertainty.
Moutinho leaned back and smirked. "If it does, we should just let Nani kick the referee. He's planning to retire soon anyway."
Before he could finish his sentence, Nani—who was casually sipping on a drink—turned and smacked Moutinho on the arm.
"Oi!" Nani glared. "I'll still be playing when you're off coaching your kid's under-8 team, and even Adriano has a couple kids of his own , so shut it."
Everyone laughed, and I couldn't help but join in. "Why am I being dragged into this? Kicking people is Pepe's department. And I don't even have a girlfriend, let alone kids!"
Pepe punched me playfully, " Don'texaggerate! I have gotten just one Yellow card this time, same as you!"
Ronaldo, who had been quietly observing, suddenly grinned. "No girlfriend? That can change quickly."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
He subtly gestured to the far end of the pool.
I turned my head and immediately spotted a gorgeous woman. It was the Brazilian supermodel, Adriana Lima, who was looking straight at me.
The moment our eyes met, she smiled—slow, and intentional. Then she waved with a wink.
I blinked and waved back politely, and turned around promptly, faster than avoiding a defender.
Ronaldo smirked. "See? Told you. She's been eyeing you since we walked in. What is it with you and older , beautiful women always falling for you!"
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Oh great. Just what I need. More romance drama."
Ronaldo raised an eyebrow. "What? She's beautiful, famous, and into you. Where's the problem?"
I gave him a deadpan look. "My mother would beat me with her spatula if she found out I was dating a woman who's been seen basically naked by the entire world, and still doing it as her job. My parents are rather old school in these things, same as myself."
Cancelo, who had been lounging nearby, suddenly sat up and shook his head. "You don't get it, young padawan. The rest of us can only imagine being with her.
But you? She's literally inviting you in."
He wiggled his eyebrows. "Maybe don't date her if she's not your type, but a secret tryst in your room might prove quite amazing."
I groaned. "You guys are terrible mentors. Shouldn't you be telling me to focus on football instead of chasing women?"
Patrício chimed in, grinning. "Well, we do have a captain who once dated Kim Kardashian of all people."
Ronaldo groaned loudly. "Are you guys seriously never letting that go? It's an honest mistake of youth!"
Laughter erupted around the pool as we joked at Ronaldo's expense who just shook his head with a barely contained laughter.
I jokingly added, " This time, maybe you can try your luck with her?"
Ronaldo gave me a mock glare, " No thanks! I have had enough of that when I was with Irina." Which earned another round of laughter from us.
Meanwhile, Adriana Lima was confused. No, actually, she was stunned.
Men didn't ignore her. Ever.
She had sent a clear signal, one that had worked on countless high-profile celebrities before. Yet Adriano Riveiro, young football star and national heartthrob, had simply smiled politely, waved back, and… looked away without any further interaction?
Was she getting old? No, impossible. She still had magazines, billboards, and commercials with her face plastered everywhere. So why was he uninterested?
She tapped her manicured nails against the table and made up her mind.
"He probably didn't get the message," she murmured to herself. "I'll talk to him later."
Little did she know, Adriano wasn't oblivious—he was just completely uninterested in dating a someone in her profession.
Feeling thirsty, I got up after a while, and made my way to the bar. The bartender handed me a cold drink just as a shadow loomed beside me.
"You'reahardmantoimpress, AdrianoRiveiro."
I turned to see Adriana standing beside me, her bikini-clad body dangerously close. Her lips curled into an amused smirk.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," I said, taking a sip of my drink. " Ijust—"
"—don't fall for obvious signals?" she finished for me, tilting her head. "Or maybe you just like playing hard to get?"
I chuckled, setting my glass down. " Not really, just had a lot of things on my mind after the whole fiasco."
She laughed ," Oh I know , I have seen the matches. So much for my vacation to watch the tournament. But Everything has it's good side . Maybe you can make it better."
"I would love to , but now's not a good time. No offense, Adriana, But my friends are waiting for me."
Her eyes gleamed with amusement as she reached out and slippedapiece of paper intomypalm.
"If you ever want me to show you around Brazil… and all its beauty," she whispered, leaning in just enough to brush against me. Before I could respond, she pressed her body against me—sensually, deliberately—and then walked away, casting a knowing glance over her shoulder.
I exhaled, shaking my head, before pocketing the number. This is not something I needed right now.
The moment I returned to my seat, every single one of my teammates erupted into cheers and whistles.
"OHHHHH, HERE WE GO!" Nani clapped, grinning like a madman.
"Our boy is about to enter the big leagues!" Cancelo whooped.
Ronaldo smirked, leaning forward. "Listen, if you need me to cover for you with your parents, just say the word."
"Yeah, yeah, very funny guys" I sighed, shaking my head with wry smile.
Nani wagged a finger at me. "Just remember, lad, always—" he held up a banana from the fruit tray "—use protection."
I groaned, grabbing a towel roll and chucking it at him while the rest of the team burst into uncontrollable laughter.
The laughter at the pool carried on, with more jokes, more teasing, and, for the first time in what felt like days, some genuine relaxation.
Despite the corruption scandals, the controversial matches, and the global outrage, we were still footballers. And for now, all we wanted to do was enjoy the night before the next battle on the pitch.
And just like that, the day of relaxation was over, and the matchday against Netherlands was upon us.
After 1966 and 2006 , Portugal was playing the semifinals for the first time, winning here would make history for all of us. The stakes were high, as was the pressure mounted upon us. But we were determined to prevail.
This was our moment to conquer.