Chapter 11 : For the world to witness...

Eibar came out of the tunnel like men possessed. They pressed high, threw numbers forward, and peppered the Espanyol box with crosses and shots, desperate to claw their way back into the match. But Espanyol stood firm.

Héctor Moreno was a rock at the back, cutting out every aerial threat. Álvaro González and Víctor Sánchez doubled up on Eibar's wingers, denying them space. Even Nico, the prodigy, tracked back to help in defense when needed.

Still, the pressure mounted. The Espanyol fans held their breath. Eibar were relentless, hammering on the door.

But the door would not break.

And then, in the 73rd minute, Espanyol found their escape.

A long pass was launched from the back, soaring high over the midfield. Nico read it early. He darted forward, his silky black hair trailing behind him.

With a single, feather-light touch, he controlled it mid-stride.

One defender lunged in—Step Over. Gone.

Another came sliding across—Marseille Turn. Spun past.

The third defender, out of sheer desperation, went for the foul.

Crunch.

Nico hit the ground hard, rolling on the grass. The whistle pierced the air. Free kick. 30 meters out.

The Eibar defender, Raúl Albentosa, raised his hands in innocence, but the referee was having none of it. Yellow card.

But none of that mattered now.

The ball was placed. The stadium buzzed with anticipation.

Nico stood over it, his Emerald green eyes locked on the target. He took four measured steps back.

Silence.

The referee raised his whistle.

Peeeeep!

Nico sprinted forward, his right foot swinging through with precision.

The ball soared over the wall—but that was only the beginning.

It moved.

Left.

Right.

Left again.

Uncontrollable. Unpredictable. Like an unseen force was guiding it.

The goalkeeper, Xabi Irureta, took a step left—wrong move.

He dived right—wrong again.

The ball twisted in mid-air and rocketed into the top left corner, nestling into the net with a ruthless elegance.

For a moment, there was silence.

The world had never seen anything like it.

Then—chaos.

Ian Darke:

"STOP IT! THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE! THAT'S—THAT'S WITCHCRAFT!"

Àxel Torres:

"THE BALL MOVED LIKE IT WAS POSSESSED! I HAVE NEVER—NEVER—SEEN A BALL SWERVE LIKE THAT!"

Nico turned, his face unreadable.

The world had just witnessed the birth of something new.

The Invisible Hand had been unveiled.

And football would never be the same.

______

As the ball rippled the net, time seemed to pause.

The Eibar players stood frozen, staring at each other in disbelief. What had they just witnessed?

The Espanyol fans erupted, their voices shaking the very foundations of the stadium.

But Nico?

He was already on the move.

With the grace of a prince and the poise of a king, he sprinted towards the corner flag. When he reached it, he bowed deeply, one hand elegantly placed across his chest, the other extended outward.

A royal decree to the footballing world.

The Prince of La Masia had arrived.

Up in the commentary booth, the broadcasters scrambled over each other, their voices barely able to contain the sheer gravity of the moment.

Ian Darke:"I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I'M SEEING! WE KNEW HE WAS SPECIAL, BUT THIS? THIS IS UNREAL!"

Àxel Torres:"WE ARE WITNESSING HISTORY! THIS 14-YEAR-OLD BOY HAS JUST SHATTERED RECORDS LIKE GLASS!"

As Nico stood there, soaking in the moment, the graphics flashed across the screen.

Youngest Player in La Liga History – 14 years

oungest Goalscorer in La Liga History

Youngest to Score a Free Kick in La Liga

Youngest to Score a Brace in La Liga

Youngest to Score a Hattrick in La Liga

The cameras panned across the stadium. Phones were out. Social media was exploding. The footballing world had just met its newest, brightest star.

And this was only the beginning.

________

The referee blew the final whistle, and the stadium erupted in applause.

Espanyol 3-0 Eibar.

A scoreline that would go down in history—not for the victory itself, but for the boy who delivered it.

Nico Cruyff.

A name that, within the span of 90 minutes, had been etched into the annals of La Liga.

As the players walked off the pitch, Espanyol's veterans patted Nico on the back, shaking their heads in disbelief. They knew they had just witnessed something extraordinary.

Ian Darke:"This is a night that will be replayed for years to come. A 14-year-old, in his debut, scoring a hattrick, including that impossible free kick. What have we just witnessed, Àxel?"

Àxel Torres:"We've witnessed the birth of a legend, Ian. This isn't just talent, this is destiny unfolding before our eyes!"

As Nico walked toward the tunnel, his face remained calm—as if this was all just part of the plan.

_________

Post-Match Press Conference

The press room at the RCDE Stadium was packed. Reporters from across Spain and beyond had gathered, their cameras flashing, their pens scribbling furiously.

At the center of it all sat Nico Cruyff, the 14-year-old who had just rewritten La Liga history. Beside him, Espanyol's head coach, Sergio González, exuded calm confidence, but even he couldn't hide the hint of amazement in his expression.

Sergio adjusted his mic, nodding toward the moderator to begin. The first journalist wasted no time.

"Coach, you took a massive gamble by starting Nico today. What made you trust him in a high-pressure match like this?"

Sergio leaned forward, his voice carrying the certainty of a man who had just been proven right.

"Look, I understand why people might think it was a gamble. A 14-year-old in La Liga? It's unheard of. But football isn't about age—it's about talent. And Nico has talent in abundance. I've seen him train, I've watched him dominate in youth matches, and I knew that if given the chance, he would deliver. And well… you all saw what happened today."

A few chuckles rippled through the room. Yes, the world had seen it. A hattrick. A moment of magic unlike anything before.

The next reporter spoke up.

"Did you expect this level of performance? A hattrick, breaking multiple records, and that free kick… we've never seen a ball move like that."

Sergio let out a short laugh, shaking his head.

"I knew he was good. I knew he could handle himself. But did I expect a hattrick on debut? No. That free kick? I don't even know how to explain it. The ball… it moved like it had a mind of its own. I've been around football for a long time, and I can tell you—I have never seen a goal like that. Never."

The murmurs in the room grew louder. Everyone there knew they had witnessed history.

Then, almost in unison, the reporters turned toward Nico.

The boy who had stunned the world.

He sat there, composed, his hazel eyes calm, as if this was just another normal day. He didn't fidget, didn't look nervous. If anything, he looked like someone who had expected all of this.

A journalist from Marca leaned in.

"Nico, you're 14 years old, and tonight you became the youngest player, youngest scorer, youngest brace scorer, youngest hattrick scorer, and youngest free-kick scorer in La Liga history. Did you ever imagine this happening so soon?"

Nico leaned toward the mic, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then, with a small smirk, he finally spoke.

"I mean… yeah, I imagined it. Just not on my first day at work."

The room erupted in laughter. Even Sergio shook his head, chuckling.

"No, but seriously," Nico continued, "I just wanted to enjoy my football. The records? They're cool, but I didn't step onto the pitch thinking about them. I stepped on to win."

A journalist from AS quickly followed up.

"That free kick… we've never seen anything like it. How did you do it?"

Nico raised an eyebrow, pretending to think.

"Magic?" he said, earning another wave of laughter.

"It's a free-kick technique I developed," he said, his voice steady. "I call it the Invisible Hand."

The room fell silent, everyone hanging on his next words.

A journalist from Mundo Deportivo pushed forward. "Can you explain how it works?"

Nico nodded, lacing his fingers together on the table.

"The idea is simple. Most free kicks follow a predictable trajectory—either they curl in one direction, dip suddenly, or knuckle through the air. But I wanted to create something different, something that defenders and goalkeepers couldn't anticipate."

He glanced around the room, making sure they were following.

"The key is in how you strike the ball. I hit it with a mix of sidespin and backspin, but at an angle that creates an imbalance in air resistance. Instead of following a normal curve, the ball wobbles unpredictably in both directions, like it's being carried by an invisible force. That's why the goalkeeper couldn't react in time. The moment he guessed left, it moved right. The moment he adjusted, it shifted again."

The reporters exchanged glances, some furiously jotting down notes, others shaking their heads in disbelief.

"So it's not luck?" one of them asked.

Nico let out a small chuckle. "If it was luck, I wouldn't have spent years perfecting it."

A reporter leaned forward, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. "Nico, you were 14 years old, standing over a free kick in La Liga, 30 meters out. Did you feel any pressure in that moment?"

Nico tilted his head slightly, as if the question amused him. He took a sip of water, then placed the bottle down before answering.

"I felt a little nervous before the match," he admitted, his voice smooth and steady. "But when I take free kicks? Never."

The reporters leaned in, intrigued.

"I've practiced Invisible Hand since I was eight years old. I've taken at least 150,000 free kicks in training. So when I step up to take one in a match, I already know the outcome. I never miss."

A stunned silence filled the room. Some reporters blinked, others exchanged glances, processing what they had just heard.

Sergio González chuckled beside him, shaking his head. "Confidence is one thing. But Nico… this kid has certainty."

The journalists scribbled furiously. The story was no longer just about a 14-year-old breaking records—it was about a phenomenon, a footballing prodigy who had spent years crafting a weapon no one could stop.

And tonight, the world had just caught a glimpse of it.

__________

CBS Sports Post-Match Analysis

The studio lights shone brightly as the CBS Sports panel sat around the sleek desk, analyzing what had just unfolded in La Liga. The screen behind them displayed Nico Cruyff's highlights—his dazzling dribbles, his thunderous second goal, and, of course, the Invisible Hand free kick that had left the football world in shock.

Kate Abdo, the host, leaned forward, her expression a mix of excitement and disbelief.

Kate Abdo: "Gentlemen, I don't even know where to begin. A 14-year-old making his La Liga debut, scoring a hat trick, and introducing the world to a free-kick technique we've never seen before. Thierry, what did we just witness?"

Thierry Henry, shaking his head with a smirk, adjusted his suit.

Thierry Henry: "Kate, this is not normal. I played this game for a long time, I've seen young talents, but I have never—never—seen a 14-year-old come into a professional match and control the game like that. And that free kick? That is sorcery. It moves like the ball is alive."

Micah Richards, always the most animated of the group, burst into laughter before leaning back in his chair.

Micah Richards: "I still can't believe it! When he placed the ball down, I was thinking, 'No way, too far out.' And then BOOM! It's in the top corner. Look at the keeper! He had no chance. This kid… this kid is special."

Jamie Carragher, analytical as always, pointed at the tactical breakdown on the screen.

Jamie Carragher: "And it's not just the free kick, lads. Look at his positioning. Look at his intelligence. He's making the right runs, he's drawing defenders away, he's making mature decisions on the ball. And let's not forget—he's 14! He should be playing against kids, not tearing apart grown men in La Liga!"

Kate Abdo turned to Micah with a teasing grin.

Kate Abdo: "Micah, you were 14 once. What were you doing at that age?"

Micah burst into laughter again.

Micah Richards: "I was probably playing FIFA, Kate! Not scoring hat tricks in La Liga, that's for sure."

The entire panel laughed, but then Thierry leaned forward again, his tone serious.

Thierry Henry: "We need to talk about this free-kick technique. Because I have never seen a ball move like that. The goalkeeper committed one way, then it shifted mid-air. If this kid has really taken 150,000 free kicks in training like he said… then we are looking at the birth of a specialist the world has never seen before."

Kate nodded, turning back to the camera.

Kate Abdo: "Well, football fans, remember the name—Nico Cruyff. Because after tonight, the world won't forget it."

_________