The God of Football Starts With Passive Skills

Chapter 549: Chapter 109: Messi’s Strongest Mouthpiece! For the 2011 Golden Ball Award! Neuer: Wang Shuo, I’ll Fight You

Wang Shuo spent the night at his hotel in Zurich.

Since they were all staying at the same hotel, Wang Shuo organized a get-together with Ronaldo and Messi.

Even though Ronaldo had the fewest goals among them at the moment, he was always the one who talked the toughest and with the most confidence.

And his reasoning was indeed quite solid.

"You guys are on well-established teams, but we’re different. We just got a new head coach this season."

Although he had a point, Wang Shuo wasn’t about to let him off the hook.

"How come I don’t remember you having so many excuses back at the end of August?"

Messi sat to the side, nodding repeatedly and patting Wang Shuo’s arm in agreement.

When it was just him and Ronaldo, he was always at a disadvantage, completely unable to win an argument against him.

But things were different now. Wang Shuo was his ultimate mouthpiece!

"Back at the end of August, I didn’t know there’d be so much trouble! The head coach changed from Pellegrini to Mourinho—how could that be the same?" Ronaldo retorted anxiously.

Wang Shuo clicked his tongue. "To me, they seem the same. No difference."

At that, Messi really couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing on the spot.

"You’re at the bottom of the Golden Ball Award rankings, you don’t get to talk!" Ronaldo shot back, getting flustered.

"I’m ranked 7th, man. How is that the bottom?"

"I’m 6th, and he’s..."

Ronaldo pointed at Messi, a pang of bitterness in his heart. He waved his hand dismissively. "You, get lost."

Messi had been quite happy, having just won the Golden Ball Award and secured first place. He thought Ronaldo might even praise him.

’He’s telling me to get lost?’

"That’s right. If it were me, I wouldn’t even want a stolen Golden Ball Award like that." Wang Shuo immediately switched sides, kicking Messi while he was down.

"Exactly! Did you even win a championship?" With backup, Ronaldo grew even more fired up.

"Doesn’t La Liga count?" Messi finally found his weapon for a counterattack.

Ronaldo froze for a second.

Messi pressed his advantage. "I won the La Liga title, reached the Champions League semifinals, and won the La Liga Golden Boot Award. How am I not qualified to win the Golden Ball Award? You, on the other hand, have the nerve to be 6th? Take a look at the guy next to you."

"Well said! I won the Bundesliga title, the UEFA Europa League title, and both the Bundesliga and European Golden Boot Awards. I couldn’t play in the World Cup, but you can’t blame me for that. I got 7th. You tell me, how do *you* have the nerve to be 6th?"

After speaking, Wang Shuo and Messi exchanged a look of mutual understanding.

Ronaldo got even more flustered and looked at Wang Shuo. "Was I talking to you?"

"You just said I had no right to talk."

"That topic is over. We’re now talking about how he isn’t qualified to win the Golden Ball Award."

"Oh, in that case, you have a point." Wang Shuo switched sides again.

Messi was exasperated.

’Dude, seriously? You change allegiances that fast?’

’Whose side are you even on?’

"I already said it. If I’m not qualified to win the Golden Ball, how do you have the nerve to be ranked 6th, ahead of Wang?"

"Hey, Messi has a point there too." Wang Shuo once again agreed.

Ronaldo was exasperated. "Whose side are you on?"

"I’m on the side of reason," Wang Shuo said, completely self-righteous.

"He’s full of shit!"

"Then tell us, what championships did you win?" Messi landed a piercing blow out of nowhere.

Ronaldo was instantly deflated.

Getting double-teamed like this was truly frustrating.

"If I’m not qualified for 6th, then you’re not qualified for the Golden Ball Award." Pushed into a corner, Ronaldo went for mutual destruction, acting a bit like a sore loser.

Messi was suddenly unable to parry. "If I’m not qualified, then who is?"

The Argentine had barely finished speaking when Wang Shuo raised his hand from the side and nominated himself. "Me!"

Ronaldo and Messi glanced at each other, then simultaneously turned to Wang Shuo and said in unison, "Get lost!"

The three of them sat there laughing like a bunch of idiots, stunning the hotel staff who saw them.

’Who would believe it?’

’These were the three hottest football stars in the world right now, and they were a trio of goofballs!’

In truth, at the level Wang Shuo, Ronaldo, and Messi had reached, genuine, close friends were becoming fewer and fewer.

Often, they couldn’t even tell who was being sincere and who was faking it.

Or perhaps, someone might be sincere today, only to become disingenuous tomorrow for the sake of some benefit.

In such an environment, the best way to protect themselves was to shrink their circle of friends.

Ronaldo and Messi didn’t really have many close friends.

Wang Shuo, however, was doing alright. He had a few good friends around him from his early, more humble days, like Subotic and Foyelner.

There were also Lina Gerk, his agent Thomas Essien, and Shen Qinghe—these were the people Wang Shuo trusted most.

And after the whole "King of Footballers" bet, the three of them had actually become something of a community of shared interests.

They and their teams were all beginning to realize that this kind of bundled publicity actually had its benefits.

For one thing, Wang Shuo, Ronaldo, and Messi had all made a fortune from the bet.

Their respective clubs had also reaped huge benefits.

More importantly, given their current status in the world of football, they would normally be seen as competitors if they were on the outside.

Their respective fan bases and supporting media outlets were practically at each other’s throats.

This, in turn, allowed them to relax and be more open when they were together.

For example, Ronaldo complained that Wang Shuo’s outfit was too flashy and told him not to steal the show next time.

"What’s it to you? It’s not like you won the Golden Ball Award, so what are you complaining about?"

But the topic gradually shifted, and the two of them teamed up to mock Messi for his lack of taste in clothes and his hick hairstyle.

"So what if I have no taste? So what if I’m a hick? I can win the Golden Ball Award!" Messi gloated.

However, a moment later, he was pulling Wang Shuo aside to ask what brand his custom suit was, and what he did for his cufflinks, dress shoes, and hairstyle.