Leo Lin stared at the goal.
He began his run-up.
Everyone held their breath.
"Pop!"
A crisp sound rang out as boot met ball.
The ball floated toward the goal on a beautiful arc.
Like a Panenka.
Lloris was fooled completely.
"Beautiful!"
"Panenka!"
"A Panenka penalty!" Derek Rae slammed the table and roared.
"The match is over!"
"This battle at the pinnacle of world soccer is over!"
"Leo Lin's Panenka penalty has killed the game!"
"Spain!"
"Are!"
"Champions!"
All the Spanish players rushed onto the pitch in wild celebration.
The Spanish fans stormed the field.
The French players collapsed in agony.
"The match is over, everyone! The match is over!"
"Spain have won the World Cup!"
The scene was pure chaos, with the Spanish players celebrating madly.
Soon, all the players were urgently led back to the locker room. The scene outside was too chaotic, and it could easily become dangerous.
...
Inside the locker room, every player was dancing and celebrating.
Leo Lin was utterly exhausted. He sat at the very back of the locker room, watching his friends sing and dance in front of him as a strange feeling rose in his chest.
He opened his phone, logged into his personal account, and began writing a post.
"To every fan who supports me:
My name is Leo Lin.
It doesn't matter if you haven't heard of me, but you've definitely heard that line of mine:
Everything for soccer!
After that line appeared in the BBC documentary, it shot up the trending charts. Some people said the views broke one hundred million, but I never watched it even once, because seeing myself shout a slogan feels way too strange.
That's right. I first started shouting it at Liverpool. Later, my teammates all accepted it as our pre-match chant.
Then I brought the chant to Spain, and Sergio Ramos said he really liked it.
Yeah. Who doesn't love soccer?
On August 14, 2017, I made my first start. We were playing Watford, and I was up against Doucouré. I remember it very clearly.
Then I scored.
My first goal for the first team.
It felt like a dream, and even now, I still haven't forgotten that feeling.
What I mean is, it felt like a dream coming true.
As many of you have said, I'm very talented. I admit that. I do have some good talent, and I know that myself.
That's why, on training days, I wake up at six every morning, go for a run, eat, then arrive early for training.
I know I have talent. The only thing I need to do is work hard enough to turn it into something real.
I once came very close to leaving European football. I was just one step away, until I received Liverpool's offer.
Mike told me Liverpool were short in midfield. They needed a real warrior, not some so-called commercial player.
So I came.
Then everything happened so quickly.
When I first joined Liverpool, the thing that left the deepest impression on me was the Liverpool fans.
To every Liverpool fan, I want to say this.
You are the greatest.
I will always remember the Champions League knockout tie against Bayern Munich. In the first leg, we played with nine men and lost two to nil.
That was not anyone's fault. On the pitch, we were one unit, so you couldn't blame any single person.
I remember sitting on the bus back to Liverpool, not knowing how I was supposed to face the Liverpool fans who supported us.
But before the second leg, beside the bus, along the streets, all around Anfield, there were fans everywhere singing the club anthem and cheering us on.
Damn it. Even thinking about it now still gives me goosebumps.
At that moment, I was absolutely sure that Liverpool fans were the greatest fans in the world.
What I mean is, we had been beaten two to nil in the first leg. We had been beaten so badly we could barely lift our heads, yet they still stood behind us.
So firm.
So proud.
People say a light boat has already crossed ten thousand mountains, but for me, after seeing the vast sea, no other water could compare.
One season ago, no one knew me, even though I was sitting right beside Cristiano Ronaldo at the time. It was a friendly match.
All the spotlights were on Cristiano Ronaldo. Every camera on the touchline, every fan's eyes, all of them were on him.
I bet that before I made that flying tackle, not a single fan knew who I was.
But that was fine.
I joined Liverpool.
They chose me.
Lucky me.
Back then, I told myself, you are going to be this year's rookie. You definitely will.
Then I scored the first goal of my professional career.
I scored twice against Everton.
I scored a free-kick hat-trick.
I scored the winner against Bayern Munich and helped the team reach the Champions League final.
I faced Cristiano Ronaldo, the man who had once sat beside me, and won the Champions League title.
I scored four goals in the World Cup final and made history.
At Anfield, under the gaze of everyone, I once heard the whole stadium shout MVP for me.
At Luzhniki, I once heard the Spanish fans shout MVP for me.
It is a call. Maybe it represents honor.
But in the next match, I will still stand in the locker room and shout, 'Everything for soccer!' Then I will walk onto the pitch and keep waiting for every chance to show myself.
All of this is only because of soccer.
It has warmth.
It comes with arguments. It comes with competition. But it has warmth.
For countless fans, it is a beacon that helps them find themselves in ordinary life.
So, to the friend reading this letter right now, if life has not been kind to you lately, go play soccer.
You do not need spotlights.
You do not need an audience.
But make sure it is at dusk, and make sure you are with friends.
After the game, buy two bottles of soda, walk home in the evening breeze, and then you will understand what life means.
My first season has ended, but it has not completely ended.
As Champions League winners, we still have the UEFA Super Cup final to play, and we still have to take part in the Club World Cup.
After that, I will begin a new journey.
New teammates will join.
Maybe some teammates will leave.
But no matter what, I will not fear any difficulty, just as I have done countless times before.
Because I know exactly what I am fighting for.
I hope all of you do too, whether on the pitch or in life.
Everything!
For soccer!
With love,
Leo Lin"