Therefore, Kai now has 23 goals and 16 assists. In some seasons, that would already be enough to win both the Golden Boot and the assists title.
People couldn't help but sigh. At first, everyone thought Kai was riding Cristiano Ronaldo's coattails—but now it looked like Ronaldo had actually held Kai back from sweeping both awards.
Some fans even joked that Kai was so generous he practically gifted Ronaldo a Golden Boot.
Kai usually didn't bother reading this kind of trashy news.
But while helping Ronaldo tidy up his room, he "accidentally" discovered a stack of clipped newspaper articles hidden in Ronaldo's notebook.
Every reporter and media outlet that wrote those stories had been circled.
Yeah… Ronaldo definitely wasn't the forgiving type.
No interviews for them in the future—ever.
Especially Piers Morgan, editor-in-chief of the Daily Mirror at the time—this guy was talking pure bullshit.
I'm Cristiano Ronaldo. What Golden Boot can't I win? Do I need to steal it from little Kai?
Kai actually didn't think Ronaldo's behavior was wrong.
These grudges? Motivation.
The guy basically lived to slap people in the face with his performance.
But still…
"Why the hell is my face all over your 'revenge list' scrapbook?"
Kai twitched.
What kind of cursed hobby is this?
Yep—Ronaldo was triggered. Completely triggered.
December 23rd.
The annual Ballon d'Or ceremony was held.
Kai was invited.
The invitation came from David Beckham.
Beckham was one of the favorites to win the award this year and had invited a few players he got along with.
Alex Ferguson was also present.
Kai was a bit surprised when he received the invitation—but he agreed without hesitation.
Then he immediately called his parents and told them to prepare a warehouse.
Yes.
A warehouse.
Because—
Top 30 football stars in the world all gathered in one place.
Signing just three footballs per person wasn't too much, right?
To prepare, Kai even contacted a football shop in Paris through Zinedine Zidane to ensure a massive supply.
Zidane was a bit surprised when Kai called him.
But honestly, what adult would refuse such a cheeky, interesting kid?
"Hey, Zizou, don't be sad. Even if you're not winning the Ballon d'Or this year, you'll definitely win World Player of the Year next year…"
To be honest, after hearing that, even if Kai had asked Zidane to sneak him into Juventus' youth academy, Zidane might've said yes.
Who doesn't like a sweet-talking little bastard?
That night, Kai attended the Ballon d'Or ceremony again.
The moment he arrived, he understood why Beckham had invited him.
Because Beckham's wife—
Victoria Beckham—
had already contacted Anne Hathaway and prepared a perfectly tailored suit for Kai.
Victoria clearly knew how to grab attention.
Hathaway was exploding in popularity across North America.
The Princess Diaries had smashed records, with box office revenue climbing to $180 million and still rising toward $200 million.
For a lightweight film, this was insane.
Naturally, Victoria—who was eager to expand into the U.S. market—wasn't going to miss this opportunity.
So—
Kai walked the red carpet holding Hathaway's hand.
Beckham walked beside him with Victoria.
Instant spotlight.
Absolute center of attention.
After entering the venue, Kai greeted many stars and quickly blended in.
But this ceremony… wasn't what Victoria wanted.
Because Beckham only finished second.
Behind him were names like:
Andriy Shevchenko
Gabriel Batistuta
Luís Figo
Roy Keane
Christian Vieri
Juan Sebastián Verón
Raúl González
Lothar Matthäus
And the winner was—
Rivaldo.
The reason?
Barcelona had dominated La Liga, winning multiple titles, and Rivaldo had been on fire:
24 league goals
Copa América champion
Final performance: 2 goals + 1 assist
Even outshining Ronaldo at the national level
Meanwhile, Beckham's treble with Manchester United was legendary—but…
He wasn't the undisputed core of the team.
And sometimes, that's all it takes to lose.
Beckham looked disappointed.
Very.
Victoria looked like she was about to explode.
Then the host decided to stir things up.
After Rivaldo's speech, he dragged Kai into the spotlight and asked for his opinion.
After all, Kai's speech last year had been a hit.
Everyone leaned in.
Kai stood up calmly:
"The cruelty of awards lies in choosing one among many who all deserve it."
"In some years, that choice feels natural. In others… it leaves regret."
"Rivaldo absolutely deserves this Ballon d'Or. His achievements this year speak for themselves."
"But at the same time—Rivaldo, you'll have to forgive me for saying this—David Beckham also deserves it."
"In my opinion, if Beckham had won, it would have been completely fair."
"And since Rivaldo won—it's still completely fair."
"Finally… I just hope that from next year onward, people will look beyond Beckham's face and actually pay attention to his passing, work rate, and defensive contribution."
"I believe he'll have another chance."
The room erupted in applause.
That was some top-tier emotional intelligence.
If it had been someone like Ronaldo or Zidane winning, they might've raised an eyebrow at that speech.
But Rivaldo?
He was completely satisfied.
And Beckham?
Yeah…
He probably felt a hell of a lot better too.
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