The God of Football Starts With Passive Skills

Speaking of which, that was another funny story.

Guess who changed the group name?

It wasn’t Ronaldo, and it certainly wasn’t Wang Shuo.

It was Messi!

That’s right—the very same Messi who failed to score a hat-trick in the Champions League semifinals!

He was the only one of the three who didn’t get a hat-trick, yet he was the one who changed it himself.

Why?

He said so himself. So what if he didn’t score a hat-trick?

I’m the one who advanced!

It made Ronaldo so mad he almost rage-quit the group.

As the group admin, Wang Shuo hopped into the group chat and immediately tagged everyone.

"Alright, group members, let’s have your final season stats."

"I’ll go first."

"This season, I’ve already won the double with the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal titles. The Champions League is my next target!"

"54 goals and 22 assists in the Bundesliga."

To top it off, Wang Shuo attached a photo he’d just taken in the locker room, showing off the DFB-Pokal trophy.

The first one to jump in was Ronaldo, but he’d already changed his group nickname back to his real name.

Why?

Because he was embarrassed about not making it to the Champions League final, of course!

"Fifty-four goals... I’m starting to seriously suspect the defenders in the Bundesliga are made of paper!"

"I can rack my brain all day and still not figure it out. How on earth did they let you score so many goals?"

"No need to suspect, Cristiano. They are. It’s an open secret," Messi chimed in.

"Whether they’re made of paper or not, why don’t you two come try your luck in the Bundesliga next season?"

Wang Shuo didn’t engage, maintaining his cool and aloof persona. "I graciously accept my victory, gentlemen. Now I just need to think long and hard about what to make you do."

In truth, Wang Shuo already had a pretty interesting idea, but he hadn’t worked out the details yet.

"Just a heads-up for you two: I’ll be in touch soon, so please set aside some time this holiday to make good on your promise. Thanks a bunch!"

"Don’t worry, I’m a man of my word. But, Wang, your fans online are ruthless. They’re always roasting me."

Ronaldo then deliberately added, "I’m not even the one with the fewest goals. Why do they always pick on me?"

Wang Shuo burst out laughing. "What can you do? That’s the price of having so many fans."

Messi, naturally, was not pleased. He immediately countered, "Forty-four to forty. You only have four more goals than me, but you have eight fewer assists."

"Besides, have you forgotten who started this bet in the first place?"

Also on this very night, the final match day of La Liga had concluded. Real Madrid crushed Almeria 8-1 at home.

Ronaldo went on an absolute rampage with 2 goals and 4 assists!

In the last four matches, Ronaldo had scored an insane 11 goals!

And Messi?

Unfortunately, he hadn’t scored a single goal in the last four matches.

In fact, he was rested for the final two matches and didn’t play at all.

That was how Ronaldo managed to stage a comeback and overtake him.

You could imagine how frustrated Messi must have been!

He had even complained in the group chat earlier about going to Guardiola and asking to play, but Guardiola flatly refused, telling him to rest and prepare his mind and body for the Champions League final.

"Ahem, a friendly reminder, Leo: we were betting on goals, not assists. Also, this season’s La Liga Golden Boot Award belongs to me. Thank you!" Ronaldo followed this with a smug photo of himself wearing sunglasses.

At this point, Wang Shuo chimed in again, trying to amicably break up their "infighting."

"Alright, you two. You’re both incredible. You’ve both pushed past your own career limits and are the most dangerous strikers in the European Football Scene. Cristiano, you only scored 10 fewer goals than me, and Leo was only 14 behind. That’s outstanding from both of you!"

"Stop, stop, stop! Wang, can you just go die?" It was rare for Messi to curse.

"Seconded! How can you be so obnoxious?" Ronaldo chimed in.

Wang Shuo was grinning from ear to ear.

’The so-called Peerless Duo?’

’Ronaldo and Messi? Please.’

’I’ve got them wrapped around my little finger!’

"I’ll die after I win the Champions League final," Wang Shuo retorted.

"Just say it. What do you want me to do?" Messi asked, exasperated.

Ronaldo posted a "+1" right after.

"It’s not ready yet. But I’ll give you advance notice."

The group chat fell silent for a moment.

Just then, Ronaldo popped up again, proposing with a mischievous grin, "Why don’t you two make another bet on the Champions League final?"

"What’s the wager?" As the reigning winner, Wang Shuo had to appear magnanimous.

"You swap jerseys after the match. Whoever loses has to wear the winner’s jersey for a lap around the pitch. How about it?"

Ronaldo even added an innocent-looking smiley emoji.

"Get lost!" Wang Shuo shot him down instantly. "Are you trying to get me killed? I have a massive contract with Adidas."

The chat went silent again for about ten seconds.

"Wang, if you humble-brag one more time, I’m leaving the group in protest!" Ronaldo couldn’t take it anymore.

’What in the world is going on tonight?’

’This has just turned into The Wang Shuo Humble-Bragging Show!’

"I have a proposal. After the match, we wear white T-shirts. If I win, you guys will write a sentence on your shirts: ’Messi is the world’s number one.’ Then you take a picture and post it online."

Messi specifically said "you guys" here.

Hearing this, Wang Shuo laughed and immediately agreed. "No problem. If I win, you two do the same for me."

"I can do that!"

"I object!" Ronaldo immediately chimed in.

"You two are making a bet on the Champions League final. You can’t just sacrifice me! Are you bullying me because I didn’t make the final?"

"Objection overruled!" Messi shot back. "Cristiano, you’re the one who proposed a bet."

"That’s right! It’s settled!"

Ronaldo sent a frustrated emoji.

’What the hell have I done?’

’Did I just dig a hole and bury myself in it?’

"I’m not talking anymore. I’m going to go get some extra practice on my headers. Next season, I’m winning the treble for sure!"

Ronaldo was channeling his grief and anger into motivation!