Aiming For The Throne

The match started, a bit slow but steady. Liam Delap was causing trouble for the Braga defence.

However, the Braga defence were heavily disciplined, not overcommitting in tackles just clean.

A quick counter attack left Sporting reeling, from their own corner. The Braga keeper punched the ball and it fell to their rapid forward, Roger Fernandez who stretched his legs.

Running the length of the pitch to score. 1-0 Braga.

The stadium quieted down. The away end celebrates. Their lead didn't last long as Sporting showed their superiority with Fabio Silva and Delap combining for an equaliser.

1-1 Sporting were back in.

Halftime was approaching and both teams had plenty of the ball. Eventually the halftime whistle sounded and the players went back to the locker rooms.

Kai and the other substitutes got on the field to kick the ball and play rondos.

Second half was upon us, the players got back to the field. Kai went to the bench and Coach Rui Borges shot him a look and he nodded.

The game settled well as Sporting were controlling most things. They got caught sleeping however as Braga won a corner.

Defender Victor Gomez rose the highest and headed in Braga's second goal.

2-1 Braga.

Kai was called back from his warm up to come and look at tactics as he was going in for his debut.

The clock read 72:43.

Sporting were down 2-1.

Braga's bench roared with every clearance, every block, defending their lead like men possessed.

Coach Rui Borges barked orders from the touchline — urgency in every word.

He turned to the bench, his eyes finding Kai who was putting on his black gloves.

"Vai, Kai!"

Go, Kai!

Kai yanked off his jacket, adrenaline drowning out the roar of 40,000 fans.

Giovany Quenda jogged to the sideline with him — both about to be Sporting's last throw of the dice.

The fourth official lifted the board.

Double substitution.

The stadium buzzed.

Commentators leaned into their mics.

"And here comes the new boy, the American, Kai Alexander… only seventeen years old, making his debut in a crucial match!"

Kai bumped fists with Inácio as he stepped on the pitch.

"Vai com tudo, irmão," Inácio said. "Go with everything, brother."

Kai nodded, pulling the green-and-white shirt tighter over his chest.

This was it.

Coach Rui Borges pushed Kai wide left — left winger, where his pace and trickery could tear tired defenders apart.

Kai planted his boots into the grass.

Tuned everything else out.

Eyes locked on the game.

Three minutes later — his first real touch.

A Braga fullback tried to press him tight.

Mistake.

Kai flicked the ball through his legs with a casual nutmeg, turned, and exploded into space down the wing.

The crowd gasped — then roared.

He's different.

At the top of the box, Fábio Silva peeled away from his marker, hand waving frantically.

Kai spotted him instantly.

Without breaking stride, Kai wrapped his outside foot around the ball — a gorgeous trivela cross with the outside of his boot.

The ball curled wickedly, dipping perfectly onto Fábio's forehead.

GOAL!

2-2!

The stadium detonated.

Fábio sprinted toward the corner flag, sliding on his knees, arms wide.

Kai punched the air, teammates mobbing him, slapping his back, ruffling his hair.

"WHAT A DEBUT!" the commentators screamed.

"An assist out of nowhere from the American boy!"

But Braga weren't fools.

After the goal, they packed the midfield, sitting deep, tightening every inch of space.

Sporting struggled to find gaps.

Coach Rui Borges saw it instantly — and made another bold call.

He yelled across the pitch, signaling. Holding up his ten fingers.

Kai pointed to himself, confused.

The coach nodded, shouting in English: "Midfield! Attacking Mid! Playmaker!"

Kai's heart hammered.

Central Attacking Midfielder.

Pulling the strings.

Trust me. That's what the coach was saying.

Kai nodded once.

And moved inside.

From the moment he shifted central, the entire game changed.

Kai demanded the ball.

Finding pockets of space Braga didn't even realize existed.

One touch, two touches — gone.

Linking with the fullbacks, slicing through defenders, slowing the game down when needed, speeding it up when Braga lagged.

The stadium buzzed with every pass, every turn.

Commentators gushed:

"Is CAM his natural position?"

"Look at the poise! The maturity!"

"Seventeen years old and running the midfield in a title race!"

Kai didn't hear them.

He was locked in.

In the flow.

90+1 minute.

Sporting pushed for a winner.

Corner cleared by Braga — but only half.

The ball rolled to the top of the box.

Loose.

Inviting.

And Kai was already moving.

One touch out of his feet.

Right foot cocked back.

The world seemed to freeze for a heartbeat.

Then…

BOOM.

A pile-driver.

Valverde-esque.

The ball screamed through the air like a missile, smashing into the top corner so violently the net practically tore.

The keeper didn't even move.

The stadium exploded into chaos.

"KAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIII!"

Teammates swarmed him, piling on, fans screaming themselves hoarse.

Coach Rui Borges punched the sky.

On the sidelines, even the Braga coach could only shake his head.

You couldn't stop a moment of destiny.

Full-time: Sporting 3-2 Braga.

Man of the Match: Kai Alexander.

The world, watching through livestreams and highlights, stood up and noticed.

By the time Kai got back to the locker room, his phone was blowing up.

Instagram notifications: thousands.

New followers:

Jude Bellingham

Eberechi Eze

Pedri

All three had sent DMs too:

"Welcome to Europe, baller." – Jude

"You different, bro." – Eze

"Vamos hermano!" – Pedri

Sports media couldn't stop themselves.

Twitter erupted with headlines:

"The Next Big Thing: Kai Alexander."

"America's Answer to Lamine Yamal?"

"Messi-Ronaldo Rivalry 2.0? Kai vs Lamine?"

It was ridiculous.

It was hype.

But it was real.

Kai scrolled through the flood of messages, dizzy.

Then two texts that actually mattered popped up:

Sarah: So proud of you. Keep grounded, starboy.

Madison: I KNEW you'd kill it. Keep shining, curlyhead.

Kai laughed, heart light.

He leaned back against the cool locker, smiling up at the ceiling.

This was just the beginning.

He hadn't even scratched the surface yet.

And when the Champions League came?

The world would really find out what Kai Alexander was made of.