The private jet carrying the Spanish national team sliced through the crisp morning air above the Pyrenees, a silver arrow against the azure sky.
Below, the rugged peaks gave way to the familiar, undulating plains of northern Spain. It was September 7th, 2013, and the team was returning from Helsinki, where Mateo Álvarez had made a spectacular, history-making international debut.
As the landscape unfurled beneath him, Mateo pressed his face against the cool window, watching the patchwork of fields and villages.
With each passing mile, the profound weight of his achievement in Helsinki settled into something more than mere personal triumph; it was a transformation, a definitive step in his journey from a discarded prospect to a burgeoning national hero.
