The day after the season ended, Romeo Teixeira finally had a quiet moment to himself.
That peace didn't last long—his phone lit up with a call from his older sister, Sophia Teixeira.
She was still attending Columbia University and had caught wind of something brewing online.
And apparently, Romeo was at the center of it.
At first, Sophia had been fuming. Seeing her little brother dragged by online trolls had nearly made her throw her laptop across the room. But when the tide of public opinion shifted—and those same haters turned on Riley, the troublemaker who'd assaulted Romeo—Sophia called with a smile in her voice.
"You're blowing up the internet, little bro."
Romeo frowned, curious. He pulled out his laptop and fired up the browser.
And just like that—he saw it.
He was trending. Globally.
---
> "Bring Romeo Teixeira home!"
"Why return? Just to get stomped on again by that clown Riley?"
"He's still half-American! He should play for us!"
"Cut the guilt-tripping. Weren't you the one trashing him yesterday?"
"Please don't come back, Romeo. Chase your greatness."
"I checked his stats—he's unreal. Why would he return to that circus?"
"Romeo: 'I offered the moon, but it lit up a sewer instead.'"
"Argentina all the way! Let him link up with Messi and win the World Cup!"
"If you call him a dog, you insult dogs. Dogs are loyal."
"Forget Riley. The guy's a walking scandal."
"Spain wants him. Argentina wants him. Everyone does!"
"Romeo feeding Messi? Inject it into my veins."
"He'd walk into any team. Germany, Spain, Argentina—you name it."
The internet had turned from chaos to outright war. People argued not just about Romeo's future, but which national team deserved him. His name was hotter than fire.
And Riley? He was trending too.
But for all the wrong reasons.
Romeo shook his head and dialed Raiola.
The line connected instantly.
> "My genius boy!" Raiola's booming voice came through. "Vacation time! Need me to book you a beach or a yacht?"
Romeo cut to the point. "Mr. Mino… what the hell is happening online?"
> "Oh! That?" Raiola chuckled. "You think that's me? Kid, I haven't even done anything yet!"
"What?"
> "I swear," Raiola said, trying not to laugh. "I had a whole PR plan locked and loaded. Then—BOOM—your highlight reel leaks, your juggling clip hits TikTok, and suddenly the internet explodes!"
Romeo blinked. "You're telling me... this all just happened?"
> "Absolutely! I'm scared of your fans now. They've dug up every dark secret Riley's got. It's like they run their own FBI. Ruthless."
Romeo chuckled. "That sounds about right."
> "Also, don't even think about joining that national team circus," Raiola warned. "They'll ruin your career. Corruption, politics, and no real ambition. You'll rot there."
Romeo nodded. "Don't worry. I'm not going backwards."
---
Meanwhile, at Barcelona International Airport, three men stepped into the parking lot.
Carlos Nicole—recently appointed head coach of the Argentine national team, known as the Blue Eagles—walked briskly beside his assistant Aimar, and ahead of them, Lionel Messi waited by a car.
"Leo! Long time no see!" Carlos grinned, hugging him.
Messi smiled and then turned to Aimar. "Idol! Can't believe you're here."
For Messi, Aimar wasn't just a former teammate. He was a hero.
Aimar had once led Valencia to La Liga and European glory, dancing through defenses like a shadow. Elegant. Creative. He was the Ronaldinho of Argentina before Ronaldinho even mattered.
Now, he was Carlos's secret weapon.
They got into the car.
Carlos leaned forward from the backseat, eyes blazing. "Leo… I need Romeo."
Even Aimar nodded. "That kid... he's the real thing."
They'd both seen Romeo's highlight reel—the Maradona juggling, the hat-trick assists, the confidence, the genius.
They had been completely convinced.
So they did the only logical thing: book the next flight out.
> "He's the playmaker we need," Carlos said. "This team's getting a full rebuild. Romeo will be the core."
Carlos had taken over after Sampaoli's disastrous short reign. Now, he was the youngest coach in Argentina history. The pressure was real—he had to win the Copa América, or he was out.
So he was given full control.
And his first choice?
Romeo Teixeira.
Messi raised an eyebrow. "You guys didn't even let me text him first."
Carlos grinned. "That's how urgent this is."
---