The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1

Chapter 297 An Unstoppable Blade, Blitzkrieg Matador!
3 month 26 number.

Before 6 p.m., a large number of French fans had already gathered around the Stade de France, wearing French national team jerseys from different eras, each bearing the number of their favorite player.

The most common jersey is naturally the number 10 of the French national team.

The number symbolizing the core of the national team has always been the most watched number for the French national team players. Previously, the number 10 in the national team belonged to Benzema, who played for Real Madrid.

After all, he was the one with the greatest achievements and platform among the "Four Little Swans," and was once highly anticipated by French fans.

Unfortunately, he ultimately proved that he could not bring hope to French fans.

After all four of Blanco's "Little Swans" were removed from the team, the number 10 jersey naturally fell to Gaio, who is currently the most promising player.

Only in Gaio did French fans see the shadow of a top superstar.

Among the French fans, the most eye-catching were the Bastia supporters, still wearing their specially made French-Bastia stitched jerseys, walking the streets and continuously singing "Gaio's Song"—

".Your presence is a hurricane in Bastia!

Your shots set the enemy's net on fire!
Fight, France!!
Your goal is a fist smash to your opponent!

When you run, the earth trembles.
The Deep Blue Army is your army!!”

Bastia fans basically use this modified version of the lyrics during national team matches.

Many French fans were also able to join in the melody, shouting "Fight, France!" and "The Blue Legion is your army!" at the climax.

The crowd around the Stade de France was thunderous.

French fans kept pouring in from all directions, and the Stade de France was like a blue heart, constantly pumping blue blood from all around.

Time flies.

When the team buses of the French and Spanish teams appeared on the street, a roaring sound immediately followed.

The visiting Spanish team, who had traveled a long way, were also cheering wildly for their national heroes.

Winning three major tournaments in a row, it's no exaggeration to say that Spain is a dynasty.

Gaio and his teammates looked out the window, their fighting spirit growing stronger. On home soil, they only wanted to win!

In official matches, France has never lost to Spain at home, winning both of their previous encounters.

Gaio and his team naturally wanted to continue this record.

As the French team bus pulled into the stadium and the players disembarked, a large crowd of French fans gathered around. Despite being prevented from approaching by police, they continued to shout.

"Geo!"

"Fight, France!"

The players walked toward the locker room, their eyes resolute.

Soon, the Spanish players also came over, and both sides headed to their respective locker rooms.

The players exchanged glances briefly, but did not communicate.

There aren't many players who play together on the French and Spanish national teams, mainly because this French team lacks star power, with most of its players playing in Ligue 1.

Today's starting eleven, including right-back Jallet, midfielders Matuidi and Kanté, and right winger Gaio, all play for Ligue 1 teams.

The remaining players are Lloris, Koscielny, Giroud, and Evra, who play in the Premier League, followed by Pogba in Serie A, Varane in La Liga, and Ribery in the Bundesliga.

They are all in the top five leagues, but they are very scattered.

For the Spanish team, ten of the starting eleven play in La Liga, all from Real Madrid and Barcelona. The only exception is Monreal, who came on as a substitute for Alba due to injury, and plays for Arsenal.

He just transferred to Arsenal in January of this year during the winter transfer window.

In the locker room.

Deschamps clapped his hands. "Warm up thoroughly, make sure you're warmed up properly. From the very first minute of this match, play like it's a final."

As Giroud adjusted his breathing and straightened his socks, he said to Gaio beside him, "Listening to Didier makes me feel like this is already the World Cup final."

Gaio smiled and said, "At least they just won the European Championship last year, so to some extent, it really counts as a final."

Giroud nodded.

After getting ready, everyone went out together to warm up.

As a time traveler who can foresee most things, Gaio certainly wouldn't say that Spain won't even make it out of the group stage next year.

In fact, from the last match against Spain, Gaio could sense that this Spanish team had aged.

They lacked that airtight, oppressive attacking pressure; they were simply controlling the ball for the sake of controlling the ball.

Gai is fairly confident about tonight's game.

The squad announced before the match saw Spain make four changes. Xavi and Xabi Alonso returned from injury, Monrial and Pedro entered the starting lineup, Silva was suspended due to accumulated yellow cards, Alba left the team midway due to injury, and Casillas and Puyol were not selected for this squad due to injury.

This has only exacerbated the already aging Spanish squad.

Alba's attack against Spain was very important.

Gaio walked into the Stade de France.

The fans who arrived early had already begun cheering.

"Geo!"

On both sides of the passageway, fans leaned over the railings, waving and shouting at Gaio.

Gaio waved to them as was his habit.

This drew even more cheers.

While both sides were warming up, TF1 commentators had already started providing full commentary, as this match was very important for France, so the live broadcast started early.

The TF1 commentator said, "Before the match, most people were pessimistic about Spain, believing that France had a greater home advantage, especially after AS reported that there was infighting in Spain's last match."

This is because, in their post-match report, AS took a completely new angle, claiming that when they reviewed the video footage, they discovered that right-back Arbeloa and center-back Pique had a verbal altercation after losing possession of the ball.

In the 79th minute, Finnish striker Pukki received a cross from Spalf on the left wing and tapped it into an empty net.

After the goal was conceded, Pique and Arbeloa had an argument in the backfield, with Pique pointing out that Arbeloa's positional error allowed Spalf to easily cross the ball.

Arbeloa argued that he had to leave his defensive zone to mark two Finnish players making forward runs on the left flank, and that he had to clear the ball before the opponent could make an effective cut inside or cross. He added that Pique, as the right center-back, had an obligation to cover for Arbeloa.

The argument between the two intensified, and faced with Pique's constant accusations, Arbeloa widened his eyes and helplessly spread his hands to show his innocence.

As Pique turned to leave, he wagged his right finger to indicate that he believed he had seen correctly.

He also signaled to Arbeloa to stop talking, as the match should continue.

In fact, judging from the slow-motion replay, the defensive error ultimately came down to Spain's midfield. Busquets, who was acting as a midfield shield, was operating on the right side of the midfield at the time. When Finland switched the ball to the left flank to attack, Busquets did not move to the spot to cover in time.

Iniesta, who was closest to the player who initiated the attack, did not actively try to win the ball back.

It can be said that Busquets and Iniesta's inaction in midfield directly led to Finland's counter-attack.

But the current Spanish midfield is the best in the world, so who would blame them?

Moreover, Pique, Busquets, and Iniesta were all Barcelona teammates.

So naturally, they went to Arbeloa, who is affiliated with Real Madrid, to take the blame.

but,

In an interview before the match against France, Pique clarified that this was not an internal conflict, saying, "If it were a Barcelona player arguing with a non-Real Madrid player, the media wouldn't be paying so much attention. Arbeloa and I were merely exchanging technical information about the game; it's just that our behavior was a bit excessive, but our relationship won't be affected. Although Real Madrid and Barcelona had a period of animosity, when all the national team players come to Spain, we are all the same, belonging to this red group. Don't assume there's something going on just because Real Madrid and Barcelona players were arguing; I've already forgotten about it after the match."

"but!"

TF1 commentator turned his head and said seriously, "Never underestimate Spain. They are the champions of the last three major tournaments. Such champion teams are always incredibly resilient. This is definitely not an easy game."

Furthermore, Deschamps used many young players in this match, which was a gamble in itself.

I hope the team will be cautious and not be blinded by these pre-match 'positive' smokescreens. We must play to our strengths. Del Bosque knows France's strength lies on the flanks, so we'll see how Deschamps positions Gaio and Ribery later.”

The commentator's words were meant to cool down the French fans' high spirits, so that the higher their expectations would be, the greater their disappointment would be.

but,

The fans aren't listening to any of this now; instead, they're increasingly convinced that the French team has all the advantages!

France is well-rested and playing at home, fielding its strongest lineup, while Spain is missing key players.

The key is--

"So what if they know our flanks are strong? Tottenham and Inter Milan both know Gaio is good at dribbling and finishing, but can they stop him? No!"

"And Ribery's performance in the Champions League at Bayern this season is remarkable. With Ribery and Gaião on the wings, and Spain missing Alba, defending the flanks will be even more difficult."

Time keeps passing.

After the players finished warming up and returned to the locker room to prepare, they officially appeared in the player tunnel to prepare for the game.

It was already past 8:40 PM, and the competition was scheduled to begin at 9:00 PM.

at this time,

The broadcast camera, after showing close-ups of the players in the tunnel, then panned to the stands.

Casillas is unable to play due to injury.

It was reported by the media before the match.
With Spain locked in a fierce battle with group leaders France, the Spanish team has only one path left: victory. A draw or a loss would mean facing the possibility of a playoff, a huge humiliation for the defending World Cup champions. To boost team morale, Casillas, who was not selected for the squad due to injury, communicated with the coach to temporarily suspend rehabilitation training and arranged a trip to France to cheer on the Spanish team.

Although he cannot play, Casillas' presence, as the Spanish player with the most appearances in history and currently active, can be considered a source of support and encouragement.

As a key player, this is a normal practice.

For example, in Group F of this World Cup qualifier, Portugal, having played one more game, trails Russia by 4 points and finishes second in the group.

Portugal has virtually no chance of securing a direct qualification for Brazil, so aiming for the playoffs is a more pragmatic approach.

However, securing second place in the group will not be easy. Israel is closely trailing Portugal in points, and according to the rules, Portugal must strive to be one of the eight best second-place finishers. Therefore, Portugal cannot afford to lose in the second half of the qualifiers.

Cristiano Ronaldo will miss tonight's match against Azerbaijan due to accumulated yellow cards.

After the previous away draw against Israel, Cristiano Ronaldo experienced pain in the inner side of his right calf muscle. However, instead of returning to Real Madrid to recover, he chose to fly 5000 kilometers to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to cheer on his team.

If Portugal doesn't get three points, they won't even have a chance to play in the playoffs.

If the World Cup is cancelled, it will be a heavy blow to Ronaldo, who is currently eager to end Messi's Ballon d'Or winning streak.

As for Messi now, in South America, Argentina is naturally a sure bet to finish first in their group.

However, even for someone like Messi, the style of South American football makes it very difficult.

A few days before the match between Argentina and Venezuela, Venezuelan player Rincón, who plays for Hamburg in the Bundesliga, threatened Messi, saying, "Messi is the best player in the world, but if he plays in this match, we will break his ankle!"

Judging from the match, players like Rincon, Cicero, and Vicarón were all fierce. South American football is known for its dirty tricks, and Messi, as Argentina's star player, naturally received a lot of "attention".

The most serious incident occurred in the 38th minute when Messi sprinted at high speed with the ball, and Rincón was positioned in the backfield to block him.

Lin Kong stood still and directly collided with Messi with his body. Not only that, he also extended his right elbow and subtly struck Messi in the eye socket. Messi immediately fell to the ground. When the camera focused on him, Messi's eyelids were obviously swollen. Although his eye was not injured, there was already blood on his face.

In addition, there are countless types of flying shovels.

Sometimes you have to admire how resilient Messi's body is. Look at players like Ronaldo, who were incredibly talented but ultimately failed to reach their full potential due to injuries.

But I digress. Let's get back to the Stade de France.

After a close-up of Casillas, the camera then focused on two other distinguished guests—

Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy, and French President Hollande, who was standing beside him.

at this time,

The two stood in the stands in front of the VIP box, waving to the fans in the stadium through a close-up shot.

He received a round of applause.

As the camera moved away, a deafening roar erupted from the scene!

Players enter the field!

As captain, Gai walked at the front, and the moment he entered the field was as if an earthquake had struck the entire Stade de France.

Rajoy told Hollande, "This kid has a lot of potential. Congratulations to French football for finding a new 'Zidane'. I've seen news about him in Spain. He beat Atletico Madrid twice in the Europa League, which is amazing."

As Hollande listened to the deafening roar of "Gaio" at the Stade de France and saw the many portraits of Gaio held up by fans in the stands, he was filled with pride.

He replied, “Mariano, you’re right. Jan is a gem of French football. His story—from the difficult years in Bird Spring to becoming a leader of the national team—is itself a symbol of the French spirit: resilience, struggle, and rebirth. We are all proud of him.”

Rajoy nodded, feeling the home atmosphere at the Stade de France and the adoration the French fans had for Gaio. He said, "Good kid, young captain of the French team. I wish him success, and I hope we can enjoy a great game tonight."

"Of course!"

As Hollande answered, his mind was already preoccupied with whether he could keep Gaio in Ligue 1.

As a politician, he was well aware of Gaio's influence.

This can greatly enhance the image of Ligue 1.

Furthermore, teams like Paris Saint-Germain were able to offer Gaio a top-tier contract in France.

The only difficulty in this matter is that Gaio himself rejected this option, and even used Zidane's example as a shield.

Boom!
dong dong! !
During the pre-match ceremony, die-hard fans in the French North Stand started beating drums, followed by the entire audience singing "La Marseillaise".

soon.

As captain, Gaio and Ramos performed the opening ceremony. Even at this moment, Ramos couldn't resist playing some psychological warfare, saying, "I'm playing left center-back, be careful, I'll give you plenty of challenges today."

Gaio smiled slightly and replied casually, "You're too slow to stop me."

Ramos replied defiantly, "Let's see."

"Okay."

Gaio responded.

The two players guessed a coin under the referee's direction.

Gaio guessed correctly and chose to kick off.

Ramos had no choice but to choose the side where he had just warmed up as the direction of his attack.

As both teams walked toward the center circle, ready to kick off.

The TF1 commentator, having just finished introducing the starting lineups for both sides, added, "Before the match, Del Bosque said, 'Anyone who thinks France isn't a top team is making a big mistake. Deschamps has a group of outstanding players. In my opinion, the French team has very sharp speed and excellent vision. The most threatening players are their two wingers.'"

It remains to be seen how Vicente del Bosque will limit France's flanks in this match.
Alright, with the referee's long whistle, the match has officially begun, and France kicks off. Oh là là!! Gaio!! Gaio!!

The commentator suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

All the fans watching the broadcast stared at the screen in disbelief.

As for the fans at the scene, they instantly went into a state of excitement!
After Giroud kicked off, Pogba had the ball, and Gaio had told him before the match that if France kicked off, he must take the lead from the start.

Spain, like an old car, got off to a slow start, and the opening game presented France with their best chance.

Therefore,
After receiving the ball, Pogba circled around, pretending to pass it back, but actually waiting for Gaio to make a forward run before delivering a long pass to the right wing.

Gaio sprinted towards the ball's trajectory!
Spain's midfielders, including Alonso and Busquets, were all a beat too slow to react.

Monreal rushed back to defend, but he couldn't stop Gaio at all, watching Gaio overtake him on the bend.

For a time,

Spain's left flank was completely breached!
(End of this chapter)