Neymar stared at Suker on the television.

He and his father had carefully discussed his career plan.

Money was one aspect, but growth planning was another.

First, the Champions League was essential. This honor determined one's ceiling and treatment.

To earn money, the Champions League was a must.

At the same time, it was necessary for future pursuits like the Ballon d'Or.

Thus, Neymar had two choices before him.

First: Join Barcelona, team up with Messi to challenge Real Madrid.

However, this option carried significant risks.

As he had said before, Suker's peak was terrifying. With his current ability, he wasn't confident he and Messi could suppress Suker together.

Worse, he might be trapped at Barcelona.

After all, Barcelona's two consecutive seasons without trophies were indeed worrying.

Moreover, could he surpass Messi at Barcelona to become the top player?

If he had to be a sidekick, why not be Suker's sidekick at Real Madrid?

This was his second choice.

Second: Join Real Madrid, follow behind Suker, and stack up honors.

Compared to the first option, this was more cost-effective and steady.

Suker alone could suppress Messi and Barcelona. He believed his addition would be the icing on the cake, adding another layer of force.

At the same time, he wasn't afraid of internal competition at Real Madrid. He believed in his ability to secure a starting position.

There was also the issue of Suker's age.

Suker was now 25, right in his prime.

But how long could a player's peak last?

At most 5-6 years. By then, Suker would be in his 30s, his form would inevitably decline, and he would need to give up his position.

He was now 19. Even if he waited 5-6 years, he would only be around 25.

He could afford to wait. Moreover, Suker's peak might last even shorter.

After all, he had never seen such a terrifying peak—it must be a playing style that strain the body.

When Suker's physical abilities declined, could he still play like this?

The answer was no!

Suker would transition!

Either become a pure striker in the center-forward position or a playmaker in midfield.

But either way, Suker would have to give up his wing position.

And by then, he would just be in his prime, seamlessly taking over.

No matter how he looked at it, the second option was the most cost-effective and steady way.

It would guarantee team honors, allow rapid growth through Real Madrid's platform, and even accumulate enough fame for a meteoric rise.

Therefore, during this period, Neymar's team had also quietly shifted their attitude toward Real Madrid.

Neymar wanted to board Real Madrid's favorable Galacticos and reach the shore of honors!

"Suker!! Shoot!!!"

The commentator's cheers came from the TV. Neymar turned to look and saw Suker leap into the air, scoring a second goal with an overhead kick.

Neymar held his breath for a moment before slowly exhaling.

His gaze grew even more determined.

But before that, he had to personally confirm one thing.

Was Suker's "terrifying peak" truly worth avoiding?

If it wasn't as scary as it appeared on TV, he could fully attempt to challenge it.

After all, Neymar was confident in his own ability and talent.

In that case, joining Barcelona to team up with Messi and suppress Suker wasn't out of the question.

But all this required firsthand experience, not through a television screen.

At the Tokyo National Stadium, after scoring three goals in the first half to take the lead, Real Madrid began to hold back.

After all, it was the host team; they couldn't completely thrash them.

Suker was substituted in the 78th minute.

In this match, Suker scored two goals, though he had been playing conservatively.

In the end, the match concluded with Real Madrid easily defeating Kashiwa Reysol 3:1.

The host team managed to score a goal, saving some face.

The match intensity wasn't high, so there wasn't much exhaustion.

However, the Club World Cup final against Santos in three days would require more effort.

It wasn't that Santos was particularly strong, but Suker needed to suppress Neymar and plant a seed of fear in him.

In the original timeline, the third-best player after Messi and Ronaldo was undoubtedly Neymar.

Emerging during this insane dual-polar era spoke volumes about Neymar's talent and ability.

Suker believed that if Neymar hadn't chosen Paris Saint-Germain but instead a team with more Champions League competitiveness, he would undoubtedly have won a Ballon d'Or.

Therefore, suppressing Neymar needed to be as effective as with Messi and Ronaldo.

Moreover, unlike Messi and Ronaldo, Neymar had an advantage no one could ignore!

Youth!

Ronaldo was born in 1985, Suker in 1986, Messi in 1987.

Their birth years were lined up, and the timing of their peaks and declines were similar.

But Neymar was different!

This guy was born in 1992, a full six years younger than Suker.

Six years later, when Neymar hit his peak, Suker would already be in his 30s, with inevitably declining physical condition.

While he was still young, Suker needed to inject a dose of nightmare into him, make him afraid.

In the future, when he joined Barcelona to form MSN with Messi and Suárez, Suker would need to continue suppressing him during that period, preventing him from making waves.

Once he moved to Paris Saint-Germain, he wouldn't need to worry anymore—Neymar would play himself into obscurity!

So, even to suppress Neymar during the MSN era and keep Barcelona in check, Suker needed to put in some effort.

Suker was determined to give Neymar a good beating in the next match.

Over three days, both Real Madrid and Santos trained seriously.

Especially the Santos players, who showed extremely high enthusiasm during training.

Brazilian players naturally aspired to play in European leagues, especially top clubs like Real Madrid.

Although the chances were slim, what if they performed exceptionally well in the match and caught Mourinho's eye?

Would they have a chance to move to Europe and join Real Madrid?

Thus, everyone trained with utmost seriousness.

Neymar was no exception.

Since he had made up his mind, he needed to perform well.

Three days passed in a flash!

The Tokyo National Stadium was once again packed to the brim.

Especially for Real Madrid, this match was a must-win.

Only by winning this match could they truly earn the title of "sextuple champions," matching Barcelona's peak achievement.

From then on, they would lack no honors.

Sextuple!

Treble!

Most Champions League titles!

Most league titles!

They only needed to win the Champions League this season, defend their title, and match AC Milan's record. Then they could proudly claim to be the "Kings of Europe" or even "Kings of the World."

After all, in terms of honors, who could compare to Real Madrid?

They were absolutely the benchmark for honors. No one could compete with Real Madrid in terms of accolades.

So, they needed to first win the Club World Cup, securing the sextuple.

Then happily head to Switzerland to collect the fourth Ballon d'Or...

Win the Champions League at the end of the season, defending their title.

This season would be perfect!

No salary deductions, and all objectives achieved.

Of course, the race for the top scorer title also had to be won.

Suker couldn't help but sigh.

It sounded easy, but it was really fucking hard!

At the Tokyo National Stadium, both teams completed their warm-ups and returned to the locker rooms for final preparations.

6:00 PM sharp. The 2011 Club World Cup final began.

Real Madrid (UEFA representative) VS Santos (CONMEBOL representative).

The starting lineups were as follows:

Real Madrid (4-3-3):

Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas.

Defenders: Srna, Ramos, Carvalho, Marcelo.

Midfielders: Khedira, Alonso, Kaka.

Forwards: Bale, Benzema, Suker.

Santos (4-4-2):

Goalkeeper: Rafael Cabral.

Defenders: Danilo, Rodrigo, Léo, Durval.

Midfielders: Adriano, Ganso, Arouca, Henrique.

Forwards: Borges, Neymar.

The players were already on the field.

Santos in their white home kits, Real Madrid in their black away kits.

Suker stood on the ball at the center circle, looking toward the opposite half.

Specifically, he was looking at Neymar.

Neymar's image reminded Suker of when he first saw Pato.

Trying to be fashionable but ending up looking like a non-mainstream trend.

Neymar sported a spiky mohawk with a few strands of long hair hanging down like seaweed. What he thought was fashionable looked utterly non-mainstream.

Neymar also saw Suker. Their eyes met.

Neymar flashed his signature crescent-moon smile, even winking at Suker in a friendly gesture.

But Suker slightly frowned and turned to look elsewhere.

Neymar was taken aback. He had expected Suker to respond, but it didn't happen.

But it didn't matter. After all, his current fame and ability weren't enough for Suker to take him seriously. He would use football to communicate.

Beep!

The whistle blew.

The match began.

Real Madrid quickly launched an attack.

Mourinho on the sidelines was also watching the match, but more than the game itself, he was focused on Neymar.

As the hottest Brazilian prodigy in the world, Neymar deserved everyone's attention, and Mourinho was no exception.

Many thought Mourinho preferred bulky, strong forwards, but that wasn't true.

Mourinho liked attacking players of various styles.

In the original timeline, when Mourinho coached Real Madrid, he had wanted Florentino to sign Neymar.

When Mourinho moved to Manchester United, he also invited Neymar. Even after Manchester City signed Gabriel Jesus, a jealous Mourinho personally called to invite him, but Neymar ultimately chose Paris Saint-Germain.

Faria saw Mourinho's expression and knew he was tempted.

"Neymar is indeed an excellent player, but we already have Bale in our forward line!" Faria said.

Mourinho turned his head. "What's the problem with that? A strong bench can sustain us in league matches, and internal competition can motivate players to grow quickly!"

"Neymar's arrival might even stimulate Bale to grow faster. Of course, I won't interfere in their competition, but I really want Neymar!"

At this point, Mourinho turned his head. "Faria, open your perspective. We are Real Madrid. We can accommodate these star-level players!"

Faria sighed. "Fine!"

Meanwhile, on the field, Real Madrid suddenly launched an attack.

It was a tempo-changing attack initiated by Kaka.

He suddenly slipped the ball to Benzema.

Benzema received the ball, turned halfway, and slotted it between the center-back and full-back. Suker sprinted down the wing.

With his formidable speed, Suker blew past the opposing full-back. Nearing the goal, Suker suddenly shifted the ball horizontally, dodging the covering Santos defender and creating shooting space.

Suker gently poked the ball with his right foot. It brushed past the goalkeeper's ankle and flew into the net.

Just 8 minutes into the match, Real Madrid struck suddenly with a tempo-changing attack, and Suker finished it off.

"Goal!!!!!!!!!!!! Suker!! A brilliant goal!!!"

"Santos' defenders couldn't stop Suker at all. His calm choice in front of the goal allowed him to score easily."

Spanish commentator Gonzalez shouted: "Real Madrid is infinitely close to their sixth title!!"

After celebrating, Suker turned and walked back to the halfway line.

His eyes were filled with fighting spirit, still obsessed with scoring.

"What's up with him?"

Srna asked curiously.

It was the final, but Suker seemed overly excited. Anyone would think it was the Champions League final.

Kaka also shook his head.

But with Suker's outburst, the game would be easier for them.

In the 19th minute, Neymar dribbled on the wing, trying to take on Srna one-on-one.

But Srna was no pushover, especially after consecutive matches against Barcelona. He knew how to limit such skilled dribblers.

This was the result of being pushed by players like Iniesta and Messi.

Press closely immediately.

And call for backup!

"I'm here!"

Khedira poked the ball away. Neymar failed to break through, feeling slightly annoyed.

Khedira turned to Srna and smiled. "You could've defended him alone!"

Srna shook his head. "I'm a defender. I need stability. If I'm not 100% sure, I won't easily attempt solo defense!"

Khedira immediately thumbs up.

Srna was definitely one of the world's top full-backs right now.

But he wasn't arrogant at all—absurdly steady.

This was the foundation of Real Madrid's solid defense.

Khedira glanced at Ramos.

Ramos was tilting his head, pursing his lips, looking regretfully at Neymar's legs.

Not like this guy—a card magnet!

The ball moved to midfield. As soon as Kaka received it, Suker was already near the left midfield line, calling for a pass.

Kaka immediately passed to Suker.

Suker received the ball and immediately charged toward the final third with the ball.

"Suker is at it again! His form is excellent in this match, and his desire to attack is strong..."

Gonzalez mourned for Santos. Facing Suker in this state, Santos had even less hope.

As Suker approached the penalty area, he began continuous feints, shaking off the defensive midfielder's balance. Then, he suddenly executed a la croqueta move, breaking toward the left half-space.

Santos defenders Danilo and Rodrigo quickly closed in, trying to shut the door.

But at that moment, Suker pushed the ball forward with his left foot, planted his left foot, and forcefully pushed off.

His body flashed, squeezing through the gap between the two defenders.

"Oh~~~~ Suker!!! He broke through!!"

Gonzalez roared.

Breaking through, Suker immediately chased down the ball. He was at a sharp angle near the goal line. Before the goalkeeper could close in, Suker gently swung his calf.

Santos goalkeeper Cabral saw a white flash. The ball slipped into the far corner.

"A far-post poke! Suker's shooting motion was too fast. He didn't even use much leg movement. Cabral couldn't judge the shooting timing at all. Real Madrid leads Santos 2:0!"

In the 31st minute, a corner kick for Real Madrid.

Suker leaped high in the crowd and headed the ball into the net.

Real Madrid led Santos 3:0.

At this point, Santos was somewhat stunned.

Especially the defenders, who looked at Suker with dazed expressions.

How the hell do you defend against this?

They had never seen such an outrageous forward!

Every shot went in!

And the goals came in all varieties!

But it wasn't over.

In the 43rd minute, Srna delivered a cross from a 45-degree angle.

Suker and Santos defender Danilo both rushed toward the ball's landing point, but they overshot it slightly.

Suker turned to look and saw the ball falling.

In a panic, Suker slightly arched his chest. As the ball hit his chest, he naturally leaned forward, stepping to cushion the impact.

It was a back cushioning move.

The ball was controlled. Pivoting on his left foot, his body turned 180 degrees, and he swung around for a powerful shot!

No!

It was more of a curler!

The ball curved in an arc toward the near post's top corner.

"God!!! What am I seeing?"

Gonzalez was stunned.

He never expected Suker to immediately turn and shoot, scoring directly.

Suker rubbed his nose, looking slightly embarrassed.

In truth, this goal had an element of luck.

He had intended to shoot powerfully, but as he turned, Danilo pulled him, causing him to lean back. With no other option, Suker could only curl his toes to see if he could salvage it.

Unexpectedly, he managed a curler with a bizarre arc.

But a lucky goal was still a goal!

In the first half, Suker scored a poker—four goals!

Suker and his teammates celebrated wildly.

Their sixth title was secure.

In contrast, the Santos players shook their heads in dismay.

It was already tough to play against them; now it was hopeless.

As for Neymar, his eyes were wide open.

"What the hell!"

He knew Suker's peak was scary.

But this was terrifying!

How could they win like this?

He finally understood what kind of monster Messi was competing against!