"...and as the last member of the starting squad, I announce Maximus Orion—our youngest yet. The youngest U15 player in the top football nations by a quarter of a year," Engel announced proudly.
It was no surprise that Maxi was chosen to start the game. First of all, he had Beckenbauer as his godfather. Known as Bavaria's darling—or perhaps even all of Germany's—Maxi was something special.
The whole team stood up to congratulate him, and Maxi welcomed the attention, savoring the admiration. As for being in the starting eleven? Maxi couldn't imagine it any other way.
Why would someone else start over me? he thought with a chuckle. Is there anyone on this team more talented than me? Haha.
With that mindset, Maxi began to warm up, dribbling and stretching. After a while, the players returned to the locker room, and with a few motivating words from Engel, they headed out to the tunnel, ready for the game.
In the tunnel, De Ligt greeted Maxi.
"Hi, Maxi."
"Hi, Matthijs. This time I'm starting! You're going to lose by a lot," Maxi joked, laughing.
"Not with me defending," De Ligt replied with a grin.
Suddenly, a boy beside De Ligt, Emmanuel Boateng, turned to Maxi and scoffed, "Your last goal was just luck. Don't think you'll be scoring again with me on defense."
"Stop it, Emmanuel," De Ligt warned, giving him a look.
Boateng quieted down but kept his competitive glare fixed on Maxi.
"Why did he provoke me out of nowhere?" Maxi asked, sneering.
"Emmanuel's a bit hot-headed," De Ligt chuckled. "Your comment about scoring a lot probably got to him. Just watch out—he holds grudges and might be rough with you on the field."
Another boy with a cocky smile stepped up and joined in. "If it's a 1v1, you wouldn't stand a chance against me," he taunted. It was Justin Kluivert.
"Who's that?" Maxi asked, amused.
De Ligt chuckled. "That's Justin Kluivert. You might know why he's so arrogant."
Before they stepped onto the pitch, Maxi shot Justin a final remark. "Just so you know, besides calling me the Prince of Munich, they also call me Joga Bonito."
Justin rolled his eyes, brushing it off and walking onto the bench, as he didn't start this time.
The game kicked off, and Maxi was determined to show Kluivert and Boateng just why he was called Joga Bonito.
Maxi's first chance came when a midfielder sent a precise long pass toward him. Maxi jogged alongside the ball, fainting a dribble that sent his defender running right past him. Calmly, Maxi took control and began to accelerate down the right side, cutting inside quickly.
Boateng rushed in, trying to intercept. Maxi feigned a backheel pass mid-run, which made Boateng stretch his foot to intercept. Realizing he'd been tricked, Boateng stumbled backward, ultimately losing his balance and falling onto the pitch.
Now near the penalty area with free space, Maxi didn't hesitate. He shot with his right instep, sending the ball curling into the net just beside the goalpost in a move straight out of the classic Robben playbook.
The goal sent Maxi's teammates into a frenzy, rushing over to celebrate with him. The crowd, small as it was, erupted in cheers. Maxi, meanwhile, cast a quick, teasing look at Boateng and shrugged his shoulders with a smirk.
With everyone celebrating, the game resumed, and from then on, the Dutch team marked Maxi closely. He hardly got the ball in a decent position.
But just before the end of the first half, Maxi received the ball about ten meters from the penalty box. He turned to see three defenders directly in front of him, with two more right behind them.
With five defenders packed in front of him, Maxi decided to attempt something even he hadn't tried in a game before.
A rainbow flick.
He stepped forward confidently, rolling the ball back toward his right foot. In one fluid motion, he trapped it between his right foot and the back of his left leg. With a quick flick, he launched it over the defenders' heads in a perfect arc. Before they could react, Maxi dashed forward, catching the ball on the other side.
Now it was just him and the keeper. The goalkeeper had rushed out, but Maxi was already at the penalty spot. He flicked the ball lightly with his foot, chipping it over the keeper, and watched as it rolled smoothly into the net.
Grinning, Maxi made a "camera" with his hands and pretended to snap a picture of the stunned defenders. It was a playful tease aimed at De Ligt, who Maxi knew disliked getting caught in embarrassing shots.
What Maxi didn't notice was that this playful act had infuriated Boateng, who was already smoldering with anger. Maxi, though talented, was still a bit inexperienced and didn't realize the consequences of taunting his opponent.
De Ligt just laughed and gave Maxi a light punch on the shoulder. "Don't make me look like a joke again, or I'll destroy you," he said, chuckling.
Under most circumstances, De Ligt might have been upset, but with Maxi, it felt like a brotherly challenge. It wasn't that he was anything but competitive; it just felt different with Maxi.
Shortly after kickoff, halftime was called.
In the locker room, Coach Engel made a few adjustments, including one for Maxi.
"Maxi, you'll sit out the second half. That defender, number 2, seems really angry at you. I'm worried he'll try to foul you. Your celebration wasn't necessary, and it only aggravated him," Engel said, looking at Maxi sternly.
"But it was just a joke for Matthijs!" Maxi protested. "I wasn't trying to—"
"I don't care. You should apologize and explain yourself," Engel cut him off firmly.
Maxi nodded, a bit ashamed, and lowered his head.
As the second half began, both Maxi and De Ligt, along with a few Dutch players—including Boateng—were subbed out. Attackers like Malen and Kluivert were sent in for a final push.
After a bit of hesitation, Maxi approached the Dutch bench to apologize. Boateng's glare made Maxi realize that Engel might have been right.
"I'm sorry. That celebration was just a joke with Matthijs, not at you," Maxi said. "The first one…I was just a little annoyed, that's all."
Boateng seemed skeptical. "You know Matthijs?"
De Ligt immediately chimed in to confirm, smoothing things over between them. After talking it out, Maxi discovered Boateng wasn't a bad guy; he just had a bit of an anger problem.
Boateng also apologized, mentioning somewhat half-heartedly that he'd been preparing to foul Maxi if they'd continued playing. Maxi shuddered slightly, realizing the lesson here: actions on the pitch have consequences.
For the rest of the match, Maxi and De Ligt sat together on the bench, playing FIFA on their Nintendo DS.
In the end, Germany won 2–1. Though Malen managed to close the gap with a late goal, it wasn't enough.
After the game, Maxi headed back to Munich, unaware that clips of his skills had already gone semi-viral online, racking up thousands of views.