The quarter-finals have quickly entered their most intense phase, with four matches being played back-to-back!
The Tang nation's team is fully geared up, preparing for their match against Portugal!
Although this match is nominally an away game, the fans are not buying it. All 89,000 seats in the stadium have been completely taken over by Tang nation fans!
Nearly eighty-five percent of the tickets were purchased by Tang nation supporters, so the scene at the stadium tomorrow is beyond imagination!
Even though the Portuguese team boasts a contemporary superstar like Cristiano Ronaldo, his popularity cannot compare to Cao Baiming's. Portuguese fans are utterly unable to withstand the overwhelming enthusiasm of the Tang nation fans.
They can only reluctantly accept this situation. What was supposed to be a home ground has effectively become the opponent's true home ground, a reality that leaves the entire team feeling helpless!
Since Figo's debut, the Portuguese team has carried a certain swagger. They possess incredibly high player valuations, with almost every player being an absolute core of a top club. If they were to be intimidated by a Tang nation team now, it would be rather unbecoming.
Despite this rational understanding, Santos is already starting to tremble.
The fans are intensely discussing the potential outcomes of the quarter-finals!
The results could even directly influence the Ballon d'Or selections at the end of the year!
And currently, among the remaining teams, all have players who can be considered "kings of football"!
Especially the French Tricolors and the Brazilian Samba Boys, who have not just one, but many players who can be called kings of football!
The current situation makes one very concerned about potential upsets. All fans would undoubtedly prefer to see the Samba Boys, the Tricolors, the Three Lions, and the Albiceleste of Argentina meeting in the semi-finals.
However, because the French Tricolors are set to face the Three Lions of England in the last quarter-final match, only one can advance. Therefore, for the remaining spot, it is natural for them to hope that this World Cup's biggest dark horse, the Tang nation team, makes a run for it!
After all, having come this far is no easy feat, and they have successfully broken many ingrained stereotypes.
Who wouldn't want to see how long they can last against these truly powerhouse teams?
Clearly, even though the Tang nation team has proven themselves, they are still not favored by fans to reach the finals.
Even if they can overcome Portugal, their next opponent would be the Samba Boys! A fully maxed-out Samba Boys team with a ten-star rating, surpassing the legendary "Fantastic Four" of the past!
Their strength rating is on a completely different level compared to all other teams, and they are the biggest favorites to win this World Cup!
No matter how strong the Tang nation team is, they cannot compete with them! This is the general consensus from the outside!
Despite not being favored, fans of the Samba Boys naturally wish to face the Tang nation team in the semi-finals.
The reason for this is that they believe the Tang nation team is the weakest among the remaining contenders. The Samba Boys are not afraid of losing; they simply want to witness the crushing victory they desire!
With two crucial matches still to go, the Samba Boys fans have already started their online taunts and boasts.
Cao Baiming, of course, pays no mind to such voices.
The entire team shares a unified goal: regardless of what the future holds, they will focus their attention on the most pressing match at hand!
The opposing Portuguese team is no different. The veteran Santos is either brilliant or cunningly deceptive; it's uncertain what kind of surprise they will employ!
Will Cristiano Ronaldo be used as a substitute again, as before?
All questions will finally be answered on this day.
On match day, the Tang nation team fields its regular starting lineup, essentially playing with their cards on the table. Cao Baiming remains at the center of the entire field, serving as the team's organizational and defensive linchpin.
On the Portuguese side, Santos has surprisingly placed Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting lineup, paired with two excellent crossers!
This has indeed surprised many fans!
The previous two matches did not feature this setup, but they adopt it for such a crucial quarter-final!
The old fox wasn't looking down on Cristiano Ronaldo after all; he was saving him, intending to use him as a trump card in a key match!
As with every match, this one must be approached with full commitment!
After Cao Baiming personally rallied his teammates, they all embraced and shouted their familiar slogan before heading onto the pitch!
Following the national anthem ceremony, the referee's whistle blew, and the match officially began.
"Who is the true king of football?"
"We all know that historically, even looking at the last few decades, there have been countless players called kings of football. But the true king is the strongest, and there should only be one. So, who is more deserving of this title?"
In the commentary booth, the announcers seized the lull of possession-based play at the start of the match to discuss the currently very popular topic.
The two teams on the field are currently testing each other out. It's their first encounter, and neither dares to make a rash move, resulting in a rather calm match.
"When it comes to kings of football, we can immediately rule out Maradona."
The other commentator blurted out without hesitation.
"What leads you to that conclusion?"
"In his era, although Maradona single-handedly won the World Cup, his style of play was too individualistic. If placed in the current era of more open play, he might not have achieved such high accolades.
"Moreover, apart from the World Cup title, his other honors are not as dazzling. He has few league and cup titles. Therefore, I believe he is an overrated king of football, and Messi should be considered stronger!"
"But many of us grew up watching Maradona's games! His skills are truly impeccable!"
Then, the conversation shifted directly to the true kings of football in the current era, or more specifically, those still playing in the World Cup.
"If we're talking about skill, purely from a technical standpoint, our Cao Baiming is a contender. We even know that the difficulty of carrying a Tang nation team like ours single-handedly is not even remotely comparable to Maradona's Argentina back then!"
"That's indeed true!"
"Messi, Kaka, Henry, Ronaldo – they all have to stand aside!"
As they talked, both commentators burst into laughter, but it was a hearty and confident laughter, because upon closer reflection, it truly seemed to be the case.