After the final, one last match was played.
The ten best players of the tournament were selected to compete in a 5v5 game against each other.
After the match, the medals would be awarded.
The players were given two hours of rest. During that time, everyone received their tickets indicating which team they would play for.
Maxi looked at his ticket. He had been placed on Team 1.
He went over to his team and immediately spotted Donnarumma standing there.
"Team 1?" Maxi asked with a smile.
Donnarumma grinned, relieved that he wouldn't have to face Maxi in the match, and nodded.
They chatted for a couple of minutes until the other three team members arrived.
Maxi and Donnarumma were surprised when they saw who the others were.
Everyone burst into laughter when they realized who their teammates were.
The first of the new arrivals was Saka, who was the same age as Maxi. Although Saka hadn't been hyped at the start of the tournament, his performance had caught everyone's attention. Sadly, his Arsenal team had been knocked out by Mbappé's AS Monaco in the round of 16.
The other two were none other than Kylian Mbappé and Matthijs de Ligt.
"Looks like we're all on Team 1," Maxi said, shocked. They were easily the top players in the tournament, and their team seemed unbeatable.
Not only were the five of them stunned, but so was everyone else. The players on Team 2, the spectators, and the tournament officials were all in disbelief. It felt as if the match had been decided before it even began.
"Let's make sure we win this match," Maxi said, trying to motivate his teammates.
"Let's score 20 goals!" Mbappé added confidently.
"And concede none!" Donnarumma and de Ligt chimed in at the same time.
"And let's not underestimate our opponents," Saka said, the last to speak.
The five players talked for a while before the match, exchanging contact information so they could keep in touch and maybe play together in the future.
The match began—and ended—just as everyone expected. There wasn't much to say; the team had done exactly what they said they would.
Despite the expected result, it was still unbelievable.
The final score was 24-0. The game only lasted 30 minutes, meaning they scored almost every minute. Team 2 eventually gave up and simply walked around the pitch.
After the match, everyone gathered around a small podium that had been set up beside the field.
Bayern was the last team to step up to the podium, with Maxi leading his team. He received congratulations from all the sponsors and officials present.
Soon, Maxi received the winner's trophy. It looked similar to the Champions League trophy.
As his fingers curled around the cool, smooth handles of the trophy, a wave of satisfaction washed over him. This wasn't just metal; it was a promise, a symbol of the future he would carve for himself in football. The real Champions League trophy wouldn't just be a dream. One day, it would be in his hands, and the roar of hundreds of thousands of fans would echo around him.
The Bayern team celebrated on the podium for about five minutes. Then, Maxi was called up three more times to receive individual awards: best player, top goalscorer, and most assists.
At the end, there was one last photo—a snapshot of Maxi's first major tournament victory. He held the main trophy in one hand and tried to balance the three individual trophies in the other. He could barely manage to hold them all.
Carrying all his trophies in a shopping bag, Maxi made his way to a lounge area inside the stadium.
Waiting for him there was Franz Beckenbauer.
"You did well," Beckenbauer greeted Maxi with a smile.
Hearing those three words filled Maxi with joy. It almost certainly meant Beckenbauer would take him under his wing.
"After Easter, I'll assign you a personal physio and a coach to help with your training," Beckenbauer said.
"Thank you," Maxi replied sincerely.
"I'll also teach you a few important things in my free time," Beckenbauer added.
This made Maxi even more excited. One of the greatest figures in football would be personally mentoring him.
"The ball is round, and the game lasts 90 minutes," Beckenbauer began. "That's the most important thing in football. Anything can happen. It's unpredictable. Every player has the power to shape a match—whether they're 17 or 40 years old."
After that, Beckenbauer shared more advice and personal stories. He even told Maxi to call him by his last name, as everyone else did.
As they watched the remaining matches, Beckenbauer explained various tactics, and Maxi asked every question that came to mind—why certain players made specific movements, why a pass was made instead of a dribble, and so on.
Although answering all those questions was tiring, Beckenbauer enjoyed it. He could see that Maxi was a bright young kid eager to learn.
Once all the matches were over, Beckenbauer took Maxi with him in the business-class section of their flight home. Maxi kept pestering him to watch football games on the plane until Beckenbauer finally gave in. They spent the flight watching matches, with Beckenbauer patiently explaining more strategies and insights.
After landing in Munich, Beckenbauer personally drove Maxi back to his parents' house and greeted them.
Maxi's parents had already been informed about the arrangement, so they weren't surprised.
While his parents spoke with Beckenbauer, Maxi slipped out and went down the street to Isa's house.
He knocked on the door a few times before Isa finally answered.
"Hi, Isa," Maxi greeted her with a smile.
"Did you win?" Isa asked immediately.
"Yep, I'm the best!" Maxi said proudly.
"Well, lucky you. If you hadn't won, I would've made fun of you forever!" Isa teased, though she secretly admired Maxi's talent.
"Really? If you don't tell me the truth, I won't help you with the video games anymore," Maxi insisted.
Isa rolled her eyes, but her smile betrayed her. She didn't want to admit it, but she was proud of him—more than she'd ever let on. "Fine, you're the best," she mumbled, nudging him playfully.
Isa led Maxi to the living room, where they began watching all the games he had played on TV.
They had an agreement: whenever Maxi's games were broadcast, Isa's parents, Angelika and Tom, would record them, and the two friends would watch them together.
They watched the games until Angelika and Tom returned home from work. The couple wasn't surprised to see Maxi—they had a rough idea of when he'd be back.
After finishing all the games with Isa, Maxi returned home, said a quick goodbye to Beckenbauer, and went to bed shortly after.