"You didn't. You came third. Behind the goalkeeper."

"Coach," he said. Not "boss." Not "Mister." Just Coach .

"Cristiano. I'm not starting you against Al-Hilal."

Top corner. 1-1.

Some numbers don't decline. They just stop.

He never replied. But his last match rating was a 9.1. And in the club's legends list, his name stayed green until I quit the save in 2032.

"You didn't need the pace. You had the moment."