Rise of a Football God

A day after the ballon d'Or ceremony.

Spain, Barcelona…

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5 youths jogged through the streets of Barcelona, sweating profusely even as they managed to keep their breathing at an optimum level.

Like usual, Sam was at the head of the pack, leading his training buddies.

Just behind him was the rapid Alejandro Balde, followed by Gavi, and then Pedri and Lamine Yamal who jogged at their own pace.

Yesterday, they were in Paris, attending one of the biggest ceremonies in football as they were shoved on the spotlight. Not just that, Sam even managed to steal the show in the ballon d'Or ceremony.

But they did not let that cloud their brain after returning to Spain.

The ballon d'Or ceremony was the reward ceremony for their performances in the previous season. For the new season, the ballon d'Or race already started.

If they wanted to achieve more in their careers, they knew not to dwell too much on something like a ceremony. This was why returning to Spain, they didn't rest, continuing their training schedule.

Of course, Sam was the one who forced it on them.

Lamine Yamal complained at first since Hansi Flick, their coach gave them a day out after the ballon d'Or ceremony but to Sam, a day out did not take anything away from their personal training.

This was why this morning, the 5 of them hit the streets of Barcelona again.

"3…, 2…, 1, now!" Sam yelled as soon as they were 50 meters away from the Spotify Camp Nou, erupting into a sprint.

Like usual, Alejandro Balde dug into his reserves, pushing him to the end but once again, Sam arrived at the finishing line first.

After they both arrived, panting, they turned, waiting for the others.

Like usual, Gavi arrived next and then today, surprisingly, Pedri finally beat Lamine Yamal in a sprint race, arriving first.

Instead of focusing on Pedri's feat though, they didn't, rather focusing on Sam. "Bastardo!" Gavi came, punching him.

"How can you be so multitalented?" He joked in Spanish.

"To think you'd come 5th in the ballon d'or!" Alejandro Balde added as he was not able to hide the astonishment in his voice.

It was already a full day since the ballon d'Or ceremony in France, but his teammates still could not get over it.

From the final ballon d'Or ranking that was released yesterday by France Football, the ranking meant that Sam was recognized as the 5th best player in the world last season!

To his training buddies, this was shocking.

Afterall, last season, Sam didn't even play in the UEFA Champions League, meaning he played the season with a big handicap already.

Besides, his club, it was not the biggest in Spain.

Heck, Lamine Yamal only truly heard much about Fulham, Sam's former club after getting close to the Nigerian maverick.

To think that playing for such a small club in England, not playing in the UEFA champions league, Sam would still be recognized as the 5th best player in the world during the previous season was shocking to these players.

'This guy…!' Lamine Yamal simply couldn't get it out of his head.

Salah winning the ballon d'or trophy was not shocking after his performances and record-breaking heroics during the previous season for Liverpool.

Jamal Musiala coming second was not shocking either. Afterall, during the later stages of the previous season, the German midfielder truly exploded, producing scintillating performances to lead Bayern Munich all the way to the UEFA Champions League final.

Even on the final, he dazzled, only losing because his team was weaker.

Musiala's 2nd best ranking was not a shocker too.

Arnold and Mbappe making the top 4 was also not shocking, but Sam making the top 5? To people like Pedri and the others who didn't know much about him till their club signed him, it was beyond shocking.

Heck, Sam was rated higher than every single FC Barcelona player despite the crazy things that they achieved in the previous season.

"Sam, how do you do it?" Balde asked, genuinely baffled. "How can you be so good?"

"It's almost like you can play in any position on the field".

"How can you be so good in attacking midfield and still be so lethal as a striker? Heck, it's so unfair!" The Spaniard cried.

Sam chuckled. "Come on guys, it's nothing".

"Nothing?!" They almost strangled him.

In the end, entering the Spotify Camp Nou gym alongside them, Sam was forced to tell his story even as he also worked out with them.

After the ballon d'Or ceremony yesterday, his popularity grew again.

Millions of football fans around the world already knew him and his ability after his recent performances for FC Barcelona. But aside from football fans in England and Nigeria, few truly knew how good he was for Fulham.

This was why after the ballon d'Or ceremony, millions of football fans followed him on social media, digging out his story.

They were eager to know the pre-Barcelona Sam.

There were few things fans loved than a good weak to strong story, and Sam's story was a perfect one, an almost unbelievable one.

From the streets of Abraka all the way to West London in England, from Enyimba FC to Fulham FC, they were eager to know his history.

Due to all this, a certain youtuber who made his YouTube channel solely dedicated to Sam's career experienced a crazy surge in subscribers.

While fans were patient enough to go to YouTube videos to dig out his history, Sam's friends, Gavi, Pedri, Yamal, and Balde were not as patient.

Since they had such exclusive access to him, they wanted first-hand information and so right there in the gym, Sam was forced to tell his story.

He felt like crying but at the same time, he enjoyed it.

Telling them his story left him feeling proud of how far he had come.

From the streets of Abraka, his first Christmas game in the Delta State University field, he didn't hide anything.

And then to his heroics for Enyimba FC, forcing his way into the starting XI and leading the Nigerian club to glory on the continental stage.

He did not exclude any detail, telling them of Austin, his captain during his Enyimba days who he struck a great partnership with on the field.

He told them of the CAF champions league battles.

The scintillating battles against Al Ahly, Wydad AC, the penalty shootouts, the crazy comebacks that he orchestrated, Sam recalled it all, telling them.

At some point, even he was stunned.

'Damn! I really am good'.

And then his debut for Fulham FC.

When he got to this stage, Lamine Yamal perked up, eager to hear more.

He told them of his first half season for the English club. When he told them of how in just his first half season, he led Fulham to its first trophy in decades, the Carabao Cup, their jaws dropped open in shock.

"Bastardo!" Gavi cursed. "This guy…, you're a freak!" He said in Spanish, making the others burst out laughing.

When he told them of how his coach refused to play him at first, but finally decided to let go of his pride, a decision that paid off dividends, they reeled, Yamal in particular almost worshipping him as they laughed.

The manner in which he led Fulham to knock out Liverpool out of the Carabao Cup shocked them, leaving them hooked and engrossed in the story.

And then, his record-breaking 2nd season for Fulham.

The unforgettable, 5th ballon d'Or-ranking season.

The premier league winning season!

When Sam started his story and progressed, at some point, it became hard for even his friends to believe. This was simply because it was too good to be true.

His clutch moments in games, those unforgettable games against Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, they all left an impression on his teammates.

His stint in England was crazy, truly crazy times.

When he got to his incredible hattrick displays against Manchester City, Lamine Yamal could not help but utter a 'damn!'

"Bastardo!" Gavi exclaimed again, not able to hold himself.

And eventually, when he got to the climax, they held their breaths.

This climax, it was too much!

To think that Fulham and Liverpool were tied on points on the final matchday of the season, and they needed to score a minimum of 6 goals against the reigning English champions to dethrone them to the premier league title!

This…, how on earth did Sam and Fulham do it?

When Sam told the story, they refused to believe it.

"The heck! You guys actually did that?!"

"That is how you got your premier league trophy?!" Balde exclaimed.

"Yes, what did you expect?" Sam laughed.

"No wonder you were ranked 5th in the ballon d'Or". Pedri muttered.

Then the next moment, Alejandro Balde went to the ground, doing push-ups out of respect for Sam, making the others laugh.

At the end of Sam's story, they were all flabbergasted.

They all laughed over it but after that story, they never saw him in the same way again. That story was crazy.

They no longer saw Sam as a normal footballer, they now saw him as a freak.

'That guy…, he's crazy!'