The fourth defender, Dante, had no choice but to commit. The Brazilian center-back, desperate to stop what was becoming a legendary run, lunged forward with everything he had.
Mateo saw him coming and simply accelerated, his close control so perfect that the ball seemed magnetized to his foot. Dante's tackle caught nothing but air as Mateo burst past him, now bearing down on goal with only Manuel Neuer to beat.
The stadium had fallen into an eerie silence, eighty thousand people holding their collective breath as they witnessed something that transcended sport and entered the realm of art. This wasn't just a dribbling run; it was a masterpiece being painted in real-time on the canvas of the world's most famous football pitch.
