São Paulo, Brazil — Arena de São Paulo
At 3 p.m. local time, the opening ceremony of the 2014 FIFA World Cup officially began.
The ceremony unfolded in three acts: nature, humanity, and football.
The first segment welcomed fans from across the globe. Performers showcased Brazil's unique plant life, and the giant sphere at the center illustrated the evolution of Earth.
The second act shifted to dance and music. Samba took the spotlight, but other traditional Brazilian styles followed, blending into a lively cultural symphony. The roly-poly dolls featured on stage—handcrafted figures symbolizing Afro-Brazilian women—have long been a cultural icon of northeastern Brazil.
Then came the third act: football.
Sixty-four children, representing the 32 participating nations, walked to the center of the pitch.
When a young boy stepped out holding China's national flag, Chinese fans watching live in the early hours back home erupted with excitement.
For Chinese football supporters, this was a moment to savour—after years in the shadows, they were finally part of the World Cup again.
A massive Brazilian flag swept into the stadium, and soon after, a paraplegic Brazilian youth delivered the ceremonial kickoff using an exoskeleton powered by neural signals—an inspiring display of scientific collaboration.
As cheers filled the stadium, "We Are One," the World Cup's theme song, echoed around the arena. Pitbull, Claudia Leitte, and Jennifer Lopez performed together, raising the atmosphere to its peak.
Once the music ended, the broadcast cut to the players' tunnel.
Brazil and Croatia—the first teams to take the field in this World Cup—were ready.
Inside the Chinese team's hotel conference room, players crowded around the screen, fully absorbed in the moment.
"They're coming out! They're here!" someone shouted as the teams stepped onto the pitch.
The commentator's rapid Portuguese left most players baffled.
Only Kai and Chen Man, who were fluent, followed along with ease.
Soon, the starting lineups appeared on the screen.
Brazil (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: César
Defenders: Alves, Thiago Silva (C), David Luiz, Marcelo
Def. Midfielders: Paulinho, Gustavo
Att. Midfielders: Hulk, Oscar, Neymar
Forward: Fred
Croatia (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Pletikosa
Defenders: Vrsaljko, Lovren, Ćorluka, Srna (C)
Def. Midfielders: Rakitić, Modrić
Att. Midfielders: Olić, Kovačić, Perišić
Forward: Jelavić
Amid thunderous applause, both teams walked out. Three children released doves at midfield—a symbol of peace—before the captains completed the coin toss.
The World Cup had officially begun.
"Brazil's pressing is wild," Chen Man said, eyes locked on the screen.
"Croatia isn't backing down either—their counters look sharp every time," Fernando Kairui added, nervously licking his lips.
The room buzzed with comments as everyone soaked in the intensity on screen.
The match was fierce from the opening whistle.
In the 6th minute, Brazil earned a dangerous free kick just outside the box. The angle was promising, but Croatia's defense held firm.
Minutes later, in the 11th minute, Croatia launched a quick counterattack. Modrić fed Olić, who burst down the flank and whipped the ball across the goal.
It skipped past three defenders… and rolled straight to Marcelo—who, desperate to clear it, mis-hit the ball into his own net.
The scoreboard flickered: Brazil 0–1 Croatia.
Corinthians Stadium fell into stunned silence.
Brazilian fans stared in disbelief. Marcelo froze, eyes clouded with regret, unsure where to look.
The Chinese players' meeting room went quiet as well.
Guan Zhe swallowed hard.
That single own goal made every defender in the room tense up. The atmosphere pressed down on them, making it hard to even breathe.
Even Fernando, normally lively and talkative, sat speechless.
Marcelo's mistake was more than just a goal—it was pressure made visible.
And for every defender watching, the thought was the same:
If that had been me… could I have handled it?
Seeing the tension in the room, Chen Man tried to break the mood. "You don't think… maybe we'll—"
Before he could finish, Kai reached over and smacked the back of his head.
Chen Man clutched the spot, wincing. "What was that for?!"
Kai shot him an annoyed look. "If you can't phrase it properly, don't say it at all. I already know what you were getting at."
"I—I'm fine, alright?" Chen Man muttered, shrinking back.
He really had only wanted to lighten the atmosphere, but saying it out loud would've crushed everyone's morale. The tension in the room was thick enough to feel, and the Chinese squad couldn't help but be drawn into the emotional swing of the match.
As the minutes passed, Brazil—stung by the early setback—threw everything forward.
In the 28th minute, Neymar struck a low shot from distance, the ball skidding past the right post and into the net.
The stadium erupted.
Inside the Chinese team's tactics room, several players clenched their fists instinctively. Someone even whispered a small, relieved "yes…"
They weren't cheering for Brazil; they were simply caught up in the rhythm of the match, treating the pressure as if it were their own.
Neymar's equalizer swept the gloom away instantly.
Brazil's attack came alive. Wave after wave crashed down on Croatia's defense.
Oscar, in particular, was everywhere—threading sharp passes into dangerous channels. Compared to his sometimes inconsistent performances in the Premier League, the Oscar playing for Brazil tonight was on a different level entirely.
The match moved into the second half with the score still at 1–1.
Croatia leaned heavily on Modric to organize their attacks, while Brazil kept pushing aggressively, their energy lifting as the second half progressed. Croatia began to show signs of fatigue under the constant pressure.
In the 71st minute, a Croatian defender tugged down his opponent, Fred, inside the box. The referee pointed straight to the spot.
Neymar stepped up.
A quick run, a calm strike—goal.
Brazil 2–1 Croatia.
Even with the lead, Brazil didn't slow down. Their attack kept coming, and Croatia struggled to hold on.
With just a minute of stoppage time left, Oscar mirrored Neymar's earlier effort—driving a low shot from outside the box. It clipped the left post and rolled in.
That sealed it.
When the final whistle blew, Brazil claimed a 3–1 victory in the opening match of the 2014 World Cup. Despite some hiccups, they delivered a strong start on home soil.
The first day of the tournament concluded on a high note for the hosts.
Day Two would see the completion of the first round in Groups A and B.
The three matches lined up:
Mexico vs. Cameroon
Spain vs. Netherlands
Chile vs. China
Of course, the global spotlight rested on Spain vs. Netherlands—an undeniable heavyweight clash.
But for Chinese fans, nothing mattered more than the China vs. Chile matchup. They had waited far too long to see their team on this stage again.
Back home, excitement was already building. Major media outlets were rolling out pre-match coverage, and CCTV released a statement:
"At 6:00 AM on June 13, 2014, let's cheer together for our Chinese athletes!"
The countdown had begun.
...
Please do leave a review and powerstones, helps with the book's exposure.
Feel like joining a Patreon for free and subscribing to advanced chapters?
Visit the link:
[email protected]/GRANDMAESTA_30
Change @ to a