“Are you kidding me!?
Nobody in the stadium and nobody watching at home could have expected the highly anticipated Confederations Cup Final to end like this.”
“Argentina came into the match carrying the hopes of countless fans, with many expecting them to finally cause serious problems for the seemingly unstoppable Kaka and Brazil.”
“Instead, they were completely overwhelmed by Brazil’s terrifying attacking line.”
“Everyone knows how brilliant Riquelme is.
He was the undisputed creative core of Argentina throughout this Confederations Cup.”
“But today, he never truly managed to impose himself.”
“Whether it was the lack of chemistry around him or the tactical pressure created by Brazil, Riquelme struggled to control the match in the way he normally does.”
“His greatest weapons, slowing the tempo, controlling possession, and producing flashes of genius with his passing, were pushed to their limits against players like Kaka, Ronaldinho, Adriano, and Robinho, all of whom possess outstanding individual ability.”
“At the same time, Argentina’s forwards simply weren’t dangerous enough to relieve the pressure.”
“We praise Brazil.”
“They have unquestionably been the best team in this Confederations Cup.”
“We praise Kaka, who has looked almost unstoppable.”
“And we praise Ronaldinho, whose feet seem to dance whenever the ball reaches him.”
“But today’s final also raises another question.”
“Compared with Brazil’s aggressive, dynamic style, systems built around a slower tempo, moments of inspiration from a traditional number ten, and an attacking core with very limited defensive responsibilities may be struggling to keep pace with the evolution of modern football.”
“Perhaps football is beginning to demand something new.”
“And perhaps Kaka represents part of that new direction.”
“He has won the tournament’s Golden Ball and Golden Shoe, recognition not only of his individual ability but also of the enormous influence he has had on Brazil throughout this competition.”
“For Brazil, that may be the greatest reward of all.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, that brings the Confederations Cup Final to an end.”
“Brazil have crushed Argentina 5-0!”
“The prince of the San Siro has shone brilliantly in Frankfurt!”
“And now…”
“Let the celebrations begin!”
…
Kaka had absolutely no idea how he’d made it back to his room.
After the final ended, the ecstatic coaching staff and players had booked out an entire restaurant and thrown themselves into a wild celebration.
Ever since transmigrating into this body, Kaka had still maintained the habit of attending church on Sundays.
But as for the original Kaka’s almost ascetic lifestyle, he had selectively abandoned parts of it.
He had never smoked in his previous life and naturally had no intention of starting now.
And with drugs far too common in certain parts of nightlife, he wanted even less to do with any of that.
Alcohol was different.
Kaka did drink occasionally.
But he rarely drank on his own and usually only joined in during official team celebrations.
Yesterday, though, Brazil had just won the tournament.
His father Bosco and his agent Gaetano had both come to Frankfurt as well.
With his father there, Kaka decided to relax properly for once.
The result?
He drank until he blacked out.
“Ugh…”
Kaka woke with a groan and narrowed his eyes.
His head was buzzing.
“I really can’t drink like that again…”
Hangovers were horrible.
His throat was dry and painful, and his stomach was churning.
And his head felt as though it were floating several metres above his body.
Kaka stumbled into the bathroom and leaned over the toilet, retching for a while.
Only after drinking some water did he begin to feel remotely human again.
He took a hot shower, returned to bed, and summoned the system.
“System, calculate the rewards from the final.”
[Host scored 2 goals in the Confederations Cup Final.
Points +2]
[Host provided 2 assists in the Confederations Cup Final.
Points +2]
[Host won the Confederations Cup Golden Ball.
Points +5]
[Host won the Confederations Cup Golden Shoe.
Points +5]
[Host finished as the Confederations Cup assist leader.
Points +5]
[Current Point Balance: 37]
Kaka’s eyes immediately brightened.
“Woo.
What a haul.”
He had gained 35 points from the Confederations Cup alone.
And he had only played five matches in total.
Of course, the Confederations Cup still wasn’t among the most prestigious competitions in world football.
Most participating nations hadn’t brought absolutely every first-choice star available, and the overall intensity still couldn’t compare with some of the brutal matches at club level.
Even so, thirty-five points from five games was nothing to complain about.
That was why the newly enhanced Kaka had been able to produce such absurd results.
Over the entire tournament, he scored 12 goals and provided 6 assists, directly contributing to 18 goals.
That worked out to an average of 3.6 goal contributions per match.
For a single Confederations Cup, that level of efficiency was practically unprecedented.
And probably very difficult for anyone to match in the future.
…
After successfully winning the Confederations Cup, the squad remained in Frankfurt for a few more days.
Ronaldinho and several others went off to experience Germany’s nightlife, while Kaka and the more sensible members of the team visited some local attractions.
Then, with the tournament over and the mission accomplished, Parreira officially dismissed the squad.
From that day onward, Kaka finally entered the offseason for real.
The new Serie A season wouldn’t begin until August 28, which gave him more than forty days of holiday.
If this had been the original Kaka, his offseason would probably have consisted of two things.
Staying at home.
And doing rehabilitation work.
But after the system’s treatment, there was no need for rehab anymore.
Hehehe.
His current body was probably healthier than it had been when Kaka first arrived in Serie A.
As for staying at home…
That had been acceptable when he was a broke homebody in his previous life.
But now?
He was rich!
Tall!
Handsome!
Famous!
And he was still supposed to stay indoors all summer?
Absolutely not.
Kaka immediately told his agent to book him a flight to Hawaii.
Vacation time!
Baby!
…
Unfortunately, his holiday plans were crushed before they had even properly begun.
His father shut them down immediately.
There were simply too many commercial commitments.
Leading AC Milan to the Champions League title had already been enough to send Kaka’s popularity soaring.
Then came the Confederations Cup.
His performances there had been even more outrageous.
Against him, the defensive lines of several national teams had looked like paper.
And now that he had also started showing the goal-scoring output of an elite striker, his popularity could no longer be described as merely high.
It had exploded.
There was one thing about football fans that never changed.
Goals were easy to understand.
A lot of supporters couldn’t fully read tactical systems.
They couldn’t always see how a midfielder controlled space, dictated tempo, or influenced a match without directly appearing on the scoresheet.
But goals?
Everyone understood goals.
If you scored a lot, you were brilliant.
Simple.
The old Kaka had already been extremely popular.
But back then, much of his value came from linking midfield and attack, progressing the ball, and creating chances.
Scoring wasn’t the main reason people loved watching him.
And, if one were being completely honest, that ridiculously handsome face had probably contributed quite a few fans too.
Now things were different.
Five matches.
Eighteen goal contributions!
To a certain type of supporter, the current Kaka was practically a football god walking among mortals.
Watching him play was simply too satisfying.
Who wouldn’t enjoy watching their favourite player tear teams apart and score for fun?
Was there really anyone who preferred watching their idol get battered for ninety minutes?
So after being forced to wait for more than ten days following the Champions League Final, sponsors who had already been circling Kaka finally lost all restraint after witnessing what he did at the Confederations Cup.
One after another, they descended on Frankfurt waving money.
Vacation?
Dreams?
Beautiful beaches?
Life wasn’t only about freedom and distant places.
Sometimes it was also about standing under studio lights for six hours because someone was paying you an obscene amount of money.
So Kaka accepted his father’s arrangements.
Commercial shoots.
Dinners.
Sponsor events.
Public appearances.
One after another!
After all…
There was nothing shameful about making money.