Source: China News Network
The dazzling and mesmerizing Hercules Cup, in response to the four-year contract passed down by the football world, is about to descend on the Qatar Peninsula on the southwest coast of the Persian Gulf, waiting for a new and only king.
Over the past two decades, this field, known as the "temple of football", has been full of turmoil and talent. The god of football ignited the "flying fire" in the east of Asia, witnessed the opening of a new dynasty of European football in Germany, applauded the courage and elegance of the Matador Legion, marveled at the firm will of the German team, and set off the youth storm of the Gallic rooster to sweep the northern border.
Brave teams break through the siege and rise to the top, they are world champions, they are the lamps that light up the restlessness in the hearts of their followers, and they are the brightest stars in the football universe. And outside the crowd, among the frustrated thousands of troops, there are always people who are sad, and the only golden trophy missing in the honor cabinet of their careers again and again.
Football seems to outline a fairy-like arc in the air, copying invisible time one stroke after another, depicting their ups and downs and magnificent careers, and connecting the passionate years of the past decades. But the years are ruthless, they circled with the ball, and between the whiskers, the spirited teenager of the past stood on the final stage and ushered in the final dance.
On the shores of the Persian Gulf, my journey is delayed. Standing at the end of Ragnarok and tracing the beginning of this story, the outline of the 2006 World Cup in Germany gradually becomes clear. In the summer of this year, the free-spirited factor of football wandered in the rational and precise atmosphere of industry on the banks of the Rhine, and the green memory belonging to the 70s and 80s came to waking up.
Ronaldo, Zidane, Nedved, Shevchenko, Ronaldinho, Figo and Owen, seven Ballon d'Or winners and epoch-making superstars shined their last rays at the World Cup in Germany and staged the swan song of their careers. The enthusiasm of waving the flag and shouting faded with time, and the fans were suddenly lost, and some people ignited hope.
"No. 19 Messi is ready to play, young player Messi, ushered in the first game of this World Cup."
"The penalty was played by No. 17 Ronaldo... Resist the boos of the Iranian audience, run, knock on the door! ”
The coincidence of fate has made two stars who can be called great stars stand on the top field that they have longed for for a long time in the same tournament; The cruelty of fate lies in the past ten years, the Champions League, the continental championship, the Ballon d'Or, the World Footballer of the Year, the league champion... Even though they have already pocketed countless honors, the light of the Hercules Cup has never reached the two of them.
Behind the peerless double pride is the chance of losing the slightest, the fairness of competitive sports, and the cruelty of the winner is king. Faced with almost the last chance to chase the World Cup title, Messi and Ronaldo are not afraid of the long night and will never stop. No team would take Portugal and Argentina lightly with their two, which are their strength and determination.
A TV documentary once said, "Some people say that this is not the best era of football, because in the same era, there are no more countless great names between the corners of the mouth, as if there is only Messi and only Ronaldo." But some people say that this is the best era of football, because it is the longest and fiercest peak match we have ever experienced, a meeting for ten years. ”
But if you can dance with it or even lead the way in such a magnificent and peerless time, it is not too much to send a praise of "the proud son of heaven". Also in 2006, at the age of 20, Modric wore the Croatian shirt for the first time in the World Cup, and the shepherd boy who emerged from the war played a note that belonged to him and the new generation of the Plaid Army.
The magic flute is played with melodious music. So far, Modric has played 154 games for the national team and led the team to a runner-up finish in Russia, becoming the first player in team history. Today, at the age of 37, he is still the warrior at the forefront of the Plaid Legion. Modric seems to have changed only in age, and as long as he is there, Croatia's rhapsody is far from stopping.
Which is more regrettable, just one step away from the World Cup winner or never winning the World Series? Scoring goals in the club, wearing the national team uniform but losing the crosshairs, is it still a "hero"? Two fascinating questions run through Lewandowski's career.
"I was lonely, we fought, I did my best, I did everything I could", is his unwillingness to be knocked down thousands of times; "I know it could be my last World Cup and I'll do everything I can to help the team", nor does it mean a compromise for the top striker. The World Cup in Qatar, the uncrowned king of the Ballon d'Or, is still eager to restore the glory of Polish football.
Thomas Müller, Neuer, Giroud and Busquets are lucky compared to Modric and Lewandowski, and even compared to Benzema, who said goodbye at the last minute due to injury. They have lifted the Hercules Cup and are still indispensable in the twilight of their careers. But it is precisely because of the spirit of tasting the highest peak on the station that the road "down" is even more difficult to let go.
The Hercules Cup, which symbolizes the supreme glory of the football world, has attracted countless heroes to bend their waists in the past years. Some people become famous, and some people leave the scene sadly. During the winter in Qatar, the closer you get to the end of your World Cup careers in the next few stars, the more you understand that following is not just about hoping for them to the end, but about enjoying every second of the stars shining on the greenery.
The gears of destiny may turn again from this moment, and while we are still lamenting the departure of superstars, we do not know that if we look back from the future, starting with the Qatar World Cup, it is the beginning of a new era in the world of football. When rising stars evolve into superstars in the arena, it is as the song goes: "A generation will grow old, but there will always be someone who is young." ”
Today, the story of young Mbappe and Haaland, the new "peerless double pride" has been sung by troubadours; Mukoko is expected to become Germany's first 18-year-old to debut in the World Cup, and England rising star Bellingham is eager to take over the mantle of idol Gerrard, while Pedri and Gavi make the future of the Matadors promising...
That's the beauty of football, and that's not all. And in the World Cup melody floating over Qatar, it is sung like this:
"I assure you
No matter how slim the future is
I am all with you
No matter how bumpy the road ahead
Tomorrow is another day
……”