Still, Henry felt a measure of relief.
Relief that his form was still holding up. Relief that he could still rank this high.
Fifth in the world—not bad at all.
After all, recent Ballon d'Or winners like Nedvěd and Shevchenko weren't even mentioned this year.
David Beckham, who once completely overshadowed Henry, was now just a rotation player at Real Madrid.
Even the once godlike Ronaldo, plagued by injuries, had missed the Ballon d'Or's 30-man shortlist for the first time in his career.
Beside Henry, Ronaldinho looked as if he were forcing himself to endure the moment.
But he had a naturally cheerful face—no matter how bitter he felt inside, he still looked like he was smiling.
Ronaldinho was extremely dissatisfied with his past year.
He had slipped from the very top of the world down to fourth place.
Worse than the drop in individual honors was the fact that he had won nothing with his team.
So when he looked toward the three players still competing for the Ballon d'Or, all he could do was let out a silent sigh.
And then came the most important moment of the night.
The three players whose rankings had yet to be announced were now seated together.
Coincidentally, over the past year, they had spent most of their time as club teammates.
They were Figo, Zidane, and Su Hang.
Their club achievements were almost identical.
Together, they had won the treble with Real Madrid.
More importantly, all three were undisputed core players.
Zidane and Su Hang had also claimed two Super Cups this season, making them quintuple champions.
After joining Inter Milan, Figo continued to perform at a core-player level, even showing signs of elevating the team's overall technical standards.
Inter Milan currently sat atop the Serie A table.
Judging by the sorry state of their main rivals, the league title was practically booked in advance.
As for the World Cup—
Portugal, led by Figo, suffered a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Su Hang's team in the semifinals.
They then defeated Germany in the third-place playoff, securing a World Cup bronze.
For a nation that wasn't considered a traditional football powerhouse, this result was almost equivalent to winning the title.
Zidane's France met Su Hang's Spain in the final.
Su Hang turned the tide single-handedly, scoring a hat-trick to lift the World Cup trophy.
Yet Zidane was named the tournament's Best Player.
Between the three of them, there was still real suspense.
At this moment, Real Madrid fans were completely losing their minds.
This might just be the most perfect ending the Galácticos could ask for!
Soon, images began to appear on the massive screen.
Footage from Real Madrid played on loop—goals, assists, and seamless combinations from Figo, Zidane, and Su Hang flashing one after another, whipping the venue into a frenzy.
At last, the screen settled on the image of Figo, dressed in a suit.
It was a video recorded in advance.
Figo said,
"Honestly, this is a very difficult choice. Personally, I think Zidane and Su Hang were closer to the Ballon d'Or than I was over the past year."
"As a player like me, I know clearly what should belong to me—and what shouldn't."
"If I really had to choose between the two… Zizou, I'm sorry, but I think Captain Su might need this Ballon d'Or more."
"Yes, Captain Su. I rarely call Su Hang 'captain.' After all, I'm much older and far more experienced than him, and he never puts on airs in front of us."
"But this time, I mean it from the heart. Last season, the belief he gave the team was incredibly important. I think he's the best team captain I've ever met—even compared to what I did with Portugal, I don't think I measure up."
"Of course, I know many people won't accept him. He's too young."
"And that's exactly why I think he needs this trophy even more."
"Zidane is already the best in the world. But I think we need to use this Ballon d'Or to tell everyone that Su Hang is also the best in the world!"
Applause erupted across the hall.
After Figo's video ended, the clapping grew even louder.
Zidane and Su Hang stood up and embraced him.
In the second row, Cristiano Ronaldo puffed out his cheeks slightly.
He genuinely accepted Figo's evaluation of Su Hang—it felt like watching your own father praise someone else's kid.
Ronaldo was a player who improved step by step. His career didn't start at the top, but anyone he left behind never managed to catch up.
That was how he built his greatness.
There was no need to even mention players who had started out weaker than him.
Yet Su Hang was the first player who had clearly been inferior to Ronaldo at the beginning—and then surpassed him.
Ronaldo absolutely hated that feeling.
Which was why, from this point on, defeating Su Hang became his number one objective.
On the other side of the second row, Barcelona's young prospect Messi felt equally stirred.
He truly hoped that one day, he too could appear on the big screen—even if he only occupied one-third of the time.
He wanted to genuinely become the next Su Hang, not just the "Barcelona Su Hang" imagined in the daydreams of Barça fans.
Soon, Zidane's video appeared on the screen.
Zidane said,
"The world's best? Of course I was the world's best—or rather, I stopped caring about that title a long time ago. A career can't be defined by a single award."
"Rivaldo, Figo, Ronaldo, myself… and others like Nedvěd, Shevchenko, Ronaldinho—we all stood at the very top of the world."
"But there's one thing we all clearly understood: we knew that moment was our peak."
"Me in '98. Ronaldo in '02. And so on."
"But Su Hang is different from us. When he stands here alongside us, I can feel it—this isn't his peak."
"He hasn't reached his limit yet. Not even close. I see in him the power to break through the boundaries of an era."
"People may still be comparing themselves to him this year, but next year, he'll leave them far behind. From the Real Madrid youth academy to the first team—Portillo, Borja, Juanfran, Morientes—we can all feel it."
"I don't know if everyone here tonight, or those watching the broadcast, can truly understand what I'm saying."
"But the possibility of breaking through the lock of an era is incredibly precious."
"It's something players like us spend our entire careers chasing. Unfortunately, we couldn't achieve it."
"I hope Su Hang can."
"That's why I believe this trophy belongs to him. Because he represents the future of football—higher, stronger, faster!"
The hall exploded with applause once again.
And it was clear—many players now had a thoughtful glint in their eyes.
As the very best in the world, they understood exactly what Zidane meant.
To change an era.
To transcend an era.
To create an era.
That was something even greater than being crowned the world's best—and far harder to achieve.
The generation born in the '60s, '70s, and '80s had collectively created the era of football gods before 2006.
After 2006, who would define the next era of football?
Zidane seemed to have already given the answer.
For some reason, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, seated at opposite ends of the second row, suddenly locked eyes.
Could it be them?
No.
It was—
Su Hang: Exactly. It's me.
...
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