The Falcon Takes Flight
The referee's whistle cut through the night like a blade, signaling the end of an encounter that would be etched into Champions League folklore. 3-3. A scoreline that told only the skeleton of a story whose flesh and blood had been the individual moments of brilliance, the shifting momentum, the raw emotion that had pulsed through the Parc des Princes.
In the yellow corner of the stadium, pandemonium reigned. Scarves twirled above heads like helicopter blades, flags snapped in the night air, bodies embraced in collective ecstasy. A group of ultras, bare-chested despite the February chill, pounded drums with religious fervor, leading a chant that rolled across the Parisian night:
"LUKA ZORIĆ! LUKA ZORIĆ! DER JUNGE ADLER FLIEGT!"
The Young Eagle Flies. The nickname had been coined just a week ago after his performance against Bayer, but tonight it had found its true resonance.
A father lifted his son onto his shoulders, tears streaming down his weathered face. "Tu as vu ça? Tu te souviendras de ce moment toute ta vie!" he shouted over the din. Did you see that? You'll remember this moment your entire life!
Twenty yards away, separated by security barriers and stewards, the Parisian ultras stood in stunned silence, their flares still burning, casting an apocalyptic red glow over expressions of disbelief. A man in his fifties removed his PSG cap and threw it to the ground, grinding it beneath his heel before storming toward the exit.
"Putain de merde," someone muttered. "C'est pas possible ce qu'il vient de faire."
In the PSG owners' box, Nasser Al-Khelaifi gripped the arms of his seat, knuckles white, jaw clenched so tight a muscle flickered visibly beneath the skin. Beside him, sporting director Leonardo stared straight ahead, his expression carved from stone. Neither spoke. Neither needed to. Another year, another dream of European glory slipping through their fingers like sand.
On the pitch, the PSG players had scattered like survivors of a shipwreck. Mbappé stood with hands on hips, eyes fixed on some middle distance, chest heaving with exertion and frustration. Messi sat on the turf, untying and retying his right boot with methodical precision, his face betraying nothing. Neymar had stormed toward the tunnel immediately after the whistle, not waiting for teammates or post-match rituals.
While on the pitch Luka and Mbappé were greeted by matchballs—on part of their awe-inducing hattricks, and Luka receptor of the Man Of The Match award, in the commentary box, Peter Drury's voice still carried the tremor of what he'd witnessed.
"Twenty-nine yards," he intoned, his voice dropping to an almost reverential whisper. "Twenty-nine yards from an angle that defied geometry, let alone football logic. We've seen Beckham do it. We've seen Pirlo do it. We've seen Messi do it. But to do it here, on this stage, at this moment..."
"The audacity," Martin Tyler added. "The sheer audacity of youth. He didn't just take that free kick, Peter. He authored it. Like watching someone write poetry with their feet."
"Football," Drury responded, his voice rising again with emotion, "in all its mahogany-rich wonder. When they speak of this night in years to come, remember—no, you're not dreaming. On a stage where constellations of stars regularly perform, Luka Zorić has just made his own cosmos."
The Dortmund players had finally disentangled themselves from their celebration, forming a line to applaud their traveling supporters. Luka, breaking away from the group, trotted deliberately toward the PSG ultras section, eyes blazing with intensity. Twenty yards from the barricade, he stopped, raising his hands to his ears in a gesture of silent provocation that needed no translation.
The reaction was immediate and visceral—a cacophony of whistles and jeers, obscenities in French and Arabic, plastic cups and programs raining down around him. Luka stood immobile amidst the storm, chin lifted, a half-smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"He's referencing the previous PSG players previous mock," Tyler explained for viewers. "Turning their mockery back on them. Dangerous game for a seventeen-year-old, but then again, everything about his performance tonight suggests danger is his natural habitat."
Before security could intervene, Bellingham sprinted across, leaping onto Luka's back, arms wrapped around his neck.
"You absolute madman!" the Englishman shouted into his ear, his Midlands accent thickened by emotion. "What the bloody hell was that? I think you've just killed half of Paris!"
Luka laughed, a sound of pure, unbridled joy as he carried Bellingham piggyback toward the tunnel. As they approached the sideline, a figure stepped into their path—diminutive but unmistakable in the blue and red of PSG.
Lionel Messi.
The stadium noise seemed to dim as Bellingham slid from Luka's back, backing away a step. The Argentine's face remained impassive as he tugged at his jersey.
"Tu camiseta," he said simply, gesturing toward Luka's sweat-soaked shirt.
For a moment, Luka stood frozen, unable to process the request. This was Messi—a player whose posters had been on his childhood bedroom walls filled with legends, whose videos he had studied, whose genius had shown him what was possible on a football pitch.
"What?" Luka managed, his voice barely audible.
Messi's expression softened almost imperceptibly. "Your shirt," he repeated in English. "To exchange."
With trembling fingers, Luka peeled off his jersey, passing it to Messi who handed over his own in return. No words were exchanged, just a brief nod before the Argentine turned and walked away, leaving Luka standing bare-chested in the center of the Parc des Princes, Messi's number 30 clutched in his hands like a holy relic.
"Did that just happen?" Bellingham asked, eyes wide with disbelief.
Luka looked down at the shirt in his hands, tracing the letters with his fingertip. MESSI. Somewhere in the depths of his consciousness, he registered that his life had irreversibly changed tonight—that the world he'd inhabit tomorrow would be fundamentally different from the one he'd woken up in this morning.
All the whilst, the digital world erupted in a typhoon of reaction:
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Full-Time at Parc des Princes
PSG 3-3 Borussia Dortmund
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🔥 TRENDING: #ZoricMasterclass #PSGBvB #ChampionsLeague #TheYoungEagle #LukaAndMbappe
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MATCH STATS:
Possession: PSG 58% - 42% Dortmund
Shots on Target: PSG 12 - 10 Dortmund
Expected Goals: PSG 2.8 - 2.4 Dortmund
Distance Covered: PSG 112.4km - 119.6km Dortmund
PLAYER STATS:
Kylian Mbappé: 3 goals, 7 shots, 4 on target, 9 successful dribbles
Luka Zorić: 3 goals (first hat-trick in UCL knockout stage by a teenager since Mbappé in 2017), 5 shots, 4 on target, 13 successful dribbles
Jude Bellingham: 2 assists, 91% pass completion, 11.8km distance covered
Cole Palmer: 4 key passes, 92% pass completion
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@FootballJoe: What. The. Actual. Hell. Did we just witness the birth of a dynasty? #Zorić #UCL
@UTDTrey: Luka Zorić are you INSANE?!?! That free kick broke my TV and my heart
@GaryLineker: That Zorić free kick might be the most perfect strike I've seen in a Champions League knockout game. Utterly breathtaking technique. The boy is 17! SEVENTEEN! #PSGBVB
@rioferdy5: Zorić is what happens when you give a kid PlayStation skills but also a warrior's heart. That fight to stay on his feet for the second goal after Marquinhos' tackle? That's the difference between good and great. We're watching the birth of something special with Luka Zorić. Reminds me of young Rooney but with ballerina feet. Fearless, technically perfect, and ice in his veins. #BornForThis
@markgoldbridge: ABSOLUTE SCENES!!! I've just thrown my remote at the wall! Zorić has ended PSG's Champions League dreams with a Ronaldo level freekick! Honestly the best UCL match I've seen in YEARS! #TheUnitedStand
@fabrizioromano: Arsenal director Josh Kroenke confirms: "After making formal contact with Jorge Mendes over the weekend, we're working on a possible contract for Luka Zorić. After tonight, every top club in Europe will be ringing Mendes' phone line preparing formal offers" Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Manchester City already preparing in person meetings with Zorić camp. Here we go soon? 👀
@TomHolland1996 Watching this match from set in Berlin. Had to stop filming to see that free kick! Zorić is unreal! Someone get this kid a Spider-Man suit!
@Zendaya: Tom just showed me the highlights of that game. I have no idea about football but WOW. That free kick literally made me scream in my room.
@UEFA_Stats: 1.1 BILLION - Last night's PSG vs Dortmund match peaked at 1.1 billion live viewers globally, with an average viewership of 398 million. The highest for any Champions League match outside a final.
@MLS: The highest Google search trend in the US right now: "How old is Luka Zorić" followed by "Zorić transfer value" and "Can MLS sign Zorić" 😅 #MLSAfterDark
@XG: Zorić's 3 goals came from 1.7 xG. His efficiency tonight (1.3 goals above expected) is the highest overperformance by any teenager in Champions League history.
@Squawka: Luka Zorić tonight:
3 goals
5 shots (4 on target)
13 successful dribbles (most in match)
4 chances created
9.8km distance covered
7 ground duels won
7 fouls drawn
1 Messi shirt collected
All at 17 years old.
@PUMA: THE FALCON HAS ARRIVED. #LZ37 [Image: Silhouette of Zorić's celebration with arms spread, stylized with falcon wings and the LZ logo]
@PUMA: From 1.5M to 4M followers in 27 minutes. The #ZorićEffect is real. The fastest growing athlete account in social media history.
@JennaOrtega At Parc des Princes tonight with friends and we're all speechless. Who IS this Zorić person? The whole stadium went silent when that free kick went in. Never felt anything like it.
@phil_foden: This game was mad innit. Zorić and Mbappé going toe to toe like that. Proper Champions League classics are made of this.
@Tom_Cruise: Just watched the PSG-Dortmund match from my hotel in Paris. That Zorić kid just performed the football equivalent of climbing the Burj Khalifa without ropes. Respect. #WatchMissionPossible
@LilNasX: Zorić's free kick had the same energy as Old Town Road breaking Billboard records. Nobody saw it coming, everybody's vibing to it now. KEEP STREAMING IT!
@EASPORTSFIFA: Emergency FIFA 22 update: Luka Zorić rating being adjusted as we speak. That free kick deserves 99 curve.
@JorgeValdano: I watched Maradona at 17. I watched Ronaldinho at 17. I watched Messi at 17. Tonight, I watched Luka Zorić at 17. Football is eternal, and it always finds new vessels for its magic.
@drake: Just lost 6 million on PSG. Might have to sign this Zorić kid to OVO to make it back 😂
@ToniKroos: This is what Champions League football is about. Two young talents showing the world that the future of football is in good hands. Impressed by Zorić's and Mbappé composure. #PSGBVB
@Rihanna: Wow… has soccer always been this interesting!??
@GNev2: That tunnel moment between Mbappé and Zorić walking side by side will become iconic when we look back in 10 years. Torch-passing moments don't get much more symbolic. #PSGBVB
@Cristiano: Amazing game to watch. Hard work and dedication allows you to shine on the biggest stage. Congratulations to the young players showing their quality tonight.
@OptaJoe: 17 - At 17 years, Luka Zorić is the youngest player to score a hat-trick in Champions League knockout stages history. Arrival. His 13 successful dribbles is the most by any player in UCL knockout stage this decade. Alien.
@BorussiaDortmund: Der junge Adler fliegt! 🦅 The Young Eagle soars! History made tonight, but our journey continues. See you in Dortmund for the second leg. #BVBPSG #UCL
@MileyCyrus: Someone explain who this Zorić person is and why my timeline is going crazy about him?? Did I miss something major??
@FootballJOE: BREAKING: Police called to Parc des Princes as teenage Croatian boy reported for absolutely murdering PSG's Champions League hopes. #PSGBVB
@NBCSportsSoccer: American viewership for today's Champions League match peaked at 7.8 million viewers—the highest ever for a non-final UCL match in US broadcasting history.
@ZoricDavid THAT'S MY SON! THAT'S MY SON! No words can describe a father's pride tonight!
@DTEmpire: HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS??? A 17-year-old Croatian kid just walked into PSG's billion-euro backyard and absolutely OWNED the place! Mbappé looked RATTLED! #PSGBVB #ZoricMasterclass
@TheMasterBucks: As a PSG fan, I'm heartbroken. But as a football fan, I'm in awe. That free kick will be on Champions League intros for the next 20 years. Take a bow, Zorić. #PSGBvB
@FootballDaily: TUNNEL MOMENT: The cameras caught Mbappé and Zorić walking side by side in the tunnel at halftime. No words exchanged, just two generational talents, side by side. The photo already has 3 million likes. #IconicMoments #ChampionsLeague
@MatchdayMatt: Luka Zorić first club hat-trick….
@CBSSportsGolazo: "This is a night where football writes poetry." - @Carra23's reaction to Zorić's hat-trick perfectly captures what we all witnessed.
@TheEuropeanLad Jenna Ortega's reaction to Zorić's free kick is all of us! 😱 [Video: Jenna standing open-mouthed, hands on head, turning to her friends in disbelief as the ball hits the net]
@ESPNFC: Zorić's father David jumping up and down in the stands screaming "THAT'S MY SON!" while his mother's face is filled with tears is the purest Champions League moment we've seen. Football heritage.
@JennaOrtega: I'm still shaking after witnessing what just happened at Parc des Princes tonight. Can someone with his contact slide in my DMs? I'm in Paris for another two days and need to meet this legend! 🙏
@FOXSoccer: "I've never seen anything like it. The way he looks at the goal, you can see in his eyes he knows it's going in. That's not confidence, that's destiny." - @AlexiLalas on Zorić's free kick
@brfootball: A new rivalry is born. A new star emerges. Football at its absolute peak. [Image: Split screen of Mbappé and Zorić celebrating their goals]
@FootballHistrkian: Perspective: At 17, Messi was still in Barcelona B. At 17, Cristiano was at Sporting's academy. At 17, Luka Zorić just dropped a hat-trick at the Parc des Princes in a Champions League knockout game. Let that sink in. #PSGBVB
@GuardiolaTweets: This Zorić kid is special. The way he reads the game, his spatial awareness, his technique under pressure. I'm not saying he's the next Messi, but those are the qualities that separate the immortals from the merely great. #PSGBVB
@KylianMbappe: Great battle tonight. This is what Champions League football is about. See you in Dortmund. #PSGBVB #UCL
@LukaZoric: Just getting started. Thank you for all messages. Dortmund fans, we will finish the job at home. #BVB #ChampionsLeague
@433: THAT TUNNEL SHOT 🔥 [The moment captured by cameras in the tunnel at halftime has already become one of the most shared sports images of the month. Sports photographers and body language experts have been analyzing the footage that shows Mbappé and Zorić walking in perfect unison, neither acknowledging the other.
Photo editor Jean Malaterre, who was positioned in the tunnel, described the moment: "There was something almost supernatural about it. The way they matched each other's stride perfectly, both looking at the ground, both in their own world yet somehow connected. I've been shooting football for 20 years and I've never felt a moment with such presence. It was like watching two wolves sizing each other up without needing to look directly at one another."
Body language expert Claire Renault noted: "What makes this moment so powerful is the tension of opposites. Two players at different stages of their careers - Mbappé the established superstar, Zorić the rising phenomenon - yet for that brief moment, they existed in perfect equilibrium. Neither yielded space to the other. Neither sped up or slowed down. It was almost choreographed in its perfection."
The photo, now with over 3 million likes across platforms in less than an hour, captures what many are calling a "changing of the guard" moment in European football - though at 24, Mbappé himself remains very much in his prime.
Mbappé, characteristically diplomatic in his post-match comments, said only: "He's a great talent with a big future. Tonight he showed why everyone is talking about him."]
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ARSENAL TRAINING COMPLEX, LONDON - MINUTES AFTER FINAL WHISTLE
Josh Kroenke paced the length of the boardroom, phone pressed to his ear, his normally composed demeanor visibly shaken.
"I don't care what if he's on a plane. Get Jorge Mendes on the line NOW," he demanded, turning to technical director Edu who was frantically typing on his laptop. "What's the latest projection?"
Edu looked up, face grim. "It's difficult. Real Madrid made contact with Mendes during the match. Bayern and City activated their protocols before the second goal. The price of agreeing terms is already beyond the models we ran last week."
Arteta burst through the door, still in training gear, eyes wide with urgency. "Tell me we're moving on this. Did you see what he just did?"
Kroenke covered the phone. "I'm trying to reach Mendes now. But we're looking at figures that could damage our wage structure."
Arteta stepped closer, voice low but intense. "Some players are worth breaking structures for. This is one of those moments where you either act or spend the next decade wondering 'what if.' That boy isn't just a player—he's a statement."
Kroenke nodded slowly, then uncovered the phone. "Jorge? Yes, it's Josh Kroenke. I'll be direct—we want to make an offer for Zorić. Whatever you're hearing from Madrid or City... we'll exceed it."
ATLETICO MADRID OFFICES - SAME TIME
The shouting could be heard three floors down.
"I DON'T CARE IF IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" Diego Simeone slammed his fist on the table, causing water glasses to jump. "MAKE IT POSSIBLE!"
Sporting Director Andrea Berta maintained his composure, though his knuckles whitened around his pen. "Diego, be reasonable. Real Madrid, Barcelona, City, United—they're all calling Mendes right now. The signing on fee itself will reach 90 million by the morning. We don't want another Joao Felix."
"Did you see what he did tonight? Did you see his eyes after the third goal? That's killer instinct. That's Atletico DNA."
"The finances—"
"SELL THE STADIUM IF YOU HAVE TO!" Simeone's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Some opportunities come once in a lifetime. This is one of them."
The room fell silent as CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín entered, face solemn.
"I just spoke with Mendes," he paused, looking directly at Simeone. "He promised us a seat at the table."
Simeone's eyes gleamed. "That's all we need. One chance to talk to the boy. I'll convince him."
ZAGREB, CROATIA
The cabinet room erupted in cheers as the free kick hit the net, crystal glasses clinking as government officials embraced in unbridled joy.
President Milanović raised his glass, a rare smile breaking through his usually stern demeanor. "To Luka Zorić! The new standard-bearer of Croatian excellence!"
"This is bigger than football," the Sports Minister added, voice thick with emotion. "One billion people just watched a Croatian boy conquer Paris. The tourism and cultural impact alone..."
"I want a portrait of him at the palace," Milanović declared. "This transcends sport. He's a national asset now."
In the corner, the Finance Minister was already on his phone. "Double the football federation's development budget," he whispered urgently. "Find me ten more Zorićs."
ÉLYSÉE PALACE, PARIS
The French President stared silently at the darkened television screen, glass of whiskey untouched beside him.
"Another embarrassment," he muttered finally. "Another billion spent for what? To collapse at home?"
His chief of staff cleared his throat uncomfortably. "At least Mbappé performed well, sir. Three goals..."
"And still not enough!" The president sighed heavily. "Call Qatar. We need to talk about... commitments."
AL BAYT LOUNGE, DOHA
Nasser Al-Khelaifi remained perfectly still as the final whistle blew, his expression unreadable as associates offered condolences.
"The Frenchman performed admirably," one Qatari official offered. "Three goals. No shame."
Al-Khelaifi finally spoke, his voice eerily calm. "Find everything on Zorić. Family, interests, dreams. I want to know what he eats for breakfast and what keeps him awake at night."
"Sir?"
"PSG is meant to be the best in the world," he said, rising from his chair. "We need the best. If this boy is the future, then his future belongs in Paris."
A Saudi businessman chuckled from the corner. "Ambitious as always, Nasser. But perhaps focus on keeping Mbappé first before chasing new fantasies?"
The room temperature seemed to drop several degrees as Al-Khelaifi turned. "Kylian stays. And in two years, they will play together—not in your desert exhibition matches, but for the greatest club in Europe. Paris Saint German. Messi. Neymar. Mbappé. Zorić." His eyes glinting dangerously.
PARC DES PRINCES
In the CBS studio set up on the sideline, the post-match analysis was punctuated by the continuing songs echoing around the stadium—Dortmund fans unwilling to leave, PSG ultras determined not to cede the night entirely.
"I've been in football for thirty years," Thierry Henry said, shaking his head in disbelief, "and I've never—I mean, we were just talking about this before the match—the audacity, the technical ability..."
"The confidence," Jamie Carragher interjected, "for a seventeen-year-old to step up and take that free kick when you've got established internationals on the pitch..."
"Listen," Micah Richards cut in, his characteristic energy barely contained, "the second leg is going to be absolute fire. I don't think I can wait three weeks!"
Kate Abdo smiled, glancing beyond the camera. "Speaking of fire—I think we might be able to get a word from the man himself. Is that—yes, Thierry, I think you might know him?"
The camera panned to show Luka walking past their position, Messi's shirt draped over his shoulder, torso still bare, golden skin glistening with sweat under the stadium lights.
"Luka! Luka Zorić!" Henry called out, waving him over. "Can we steal a minute of your time?"
Luka hesitated, then approached the desk, his expression filled with obvious exhaustion.
"THE STAR BOY ARRIVES!" Richards boomed, his laughter infectious as Luka broke into a shy grin.
"Luka," Henry began, his tone becoming more measured, "what you did tonight, on this stage, against this opposition—we want to know how you feel right now."
The youngster's chest rose and fell with deep breaths as he considered the question, eyes drifting momentarily toward the Dortmund fans still singing his name. When he looked back at Henry, something had changed in his expression—the boyish smile replaced by something harder.
"Hungry," he said simply. "I feel hungry. I wish we played longer. This feeling..." he paused, searching for words, "I want more of it."
Abdo leaned forward. "Luka, your hat-trick tonight makes you the youngest player ever to score three in a Champions League knockout game. When you stepped up for that free kick in the 94th minute, what was going through your mind?"
Luka shrugged. "That I would score."
Richards erupted in delighted laughter. "The confidence! Unbelievable!"
"You and Mbappé," Carragher said, "put on quite a show tonight. Two young players at the highest level. What was it like going toe-to-toe with him?"
A flicker of something crossed Luka's face. "He's incredible. Watching him... it pushes you. You see what's possible."
"The second leg at Signal Iduna Park is going to be massive," Kate prompted. "What's your message to the PSG players ahead of that game?"
Luka's eyes darkened, the intensity that had marked his play returning to his face. He looked directly into the camera, a half-smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"I'll do it again," he said softly, each word precise and measured.
"In front of our fans, with our noise—I'll do it again. And worse."