Chapter 496: Ball king
The Chinese team became the eighth champion in the history of the World Cup. Wang Feng scored 15 goals in a single tournament and won both the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot!
After the game, this explosive news quickly swept the entire world, and everyone was amazed at how they truly dominated, creating a dark horse miracle.
Since the Chinese team made it to the semi-finals four years ago, many media outlets believed they were just a flash in the pan, relying on superstars to perform above their usual level to reach that point. It was widely believed that they couldn't replicate their glory in this World Cup.
But Wang Feng's performance turned out to be explosive! Coupled with the team's overall resilience, they managed to consecutively defeat England, Argentina, Spain, and the Netherlands to lift the trophy.
FIFA congratulated the Chinese team on their victory immediately, stating, "Wang Feng is the greatest player of our time, this victory belongs to him, belongs to all Chinese people!"
The Asian Football Confederation also published an article praising the Asian team for winning the World Cup, saying, "This is a new chapter in Asian football. With the inspiration of the Chinese team winning the World Cup, we believe that Asian football as a whole will develop even better."
Reuters reported that Wang Feng's dominant performance helped the Chinese team lift the World Cup trophy. "After this game, he has become a football king on par with or even surpassing Pelé and Maradona."
"After all, whether it's Brazil or Argentina, they are both top-class teams in the world, but China is not. Without Wang Feng, they are just second-rate in Asia. They only qualified for the World Cup finals in 2002 and were eliminated without scoring a single point."
"Since the Chinese superstar joined the national team, he has scored 25 goals in two World Cup tournaments, and the team has consecutively achieved fourth place and the championship. It can be said that he single-handedly brought the national team to its peak!"
"It's hard to imagine that a player's influence on a team could be so great, but that's the reality. So it's not an exaggeration to consider him the greatest football player."
Agence France-Presse wrote that Wang Feng has achieved the grand slam of his career, "League champions, Champions League, Asian Cup champions, and now World Cup champions, he has achieved more than almost any other player."
"Moreover, with six Ballon d'Or awards and FIFA World Player titles, six UEFA Club Footballer of the Year awards, nine consecutive European Golden Shoes, two World Cup Golden Balls, and two World Cup Golden Boots, Wang Feng's personal honors are enough to make him stand out among the best."
"More importantly, the Chinese superstar is only 27 years old. He still has plenty of time to set new records. It's hard to imagine how high he will reach when he eventually stops."
The Associated Press also commented on China's victory, saying, "With Wang Feng's record-breaking 15 goals, China has lifted its first-ever World Cup trophy."
"This player, who calls for miracles, is not only widely supported in Asia and Europe but also has a large number of fans in North America. His image seems to fit the ideal of a superhero in people's minds."
"Setting aside the competitive aspect, Wang Feng's commercial value is immeasurable. According to the annual financial report released by Real Madrid, their financial income reached a staggering 9.31 billion euros in the 2009-2010 season, with over 80% coming from the Chinese superstar."
"It's worth noting that before his joining in the 2005-2006 season, Real Madrid's financial income was only 360 million euros. In just four years, it increased more than twenty-five times, making Real Madrid the most profitable club in the world."
The news of China's victory spread to Europe, where major media outlets gave their own comments and opinions. Spain's ABC newspaper believes "China's victory, Wang Feng's reign!"
"As early as the semi-finals when they reversed Spain, the signs of champions were already evident. A resilient team coupled with an unstoppable superstar has created the eighth champion in World Cup history."
"Wang Feng is undoubtedly the reigning king of football. His achievements are even greater than those of Pelé and Maradona. What's even more valuable is that he is far from being concluded. What heights will the Chinese superstar lead Real Madrid to next? It remains to be seen."
Germany's Kicker believes that the Chinese team is an "unconventional world champion." Besides the well-known Wang Feng and Dong Fangzhuo, there are no players from the top five leagues in their squad.
But the Chinese superstar managed to lift the World Cup with such a group of "ordinary soldiers," his energy has surpassed the expectations of most professionals.
"At the moment, it's difficult to define how strong he really is or where his limit lies, but it can be certain that Wang Feng will become the greatest football player."
Sky Sports in the UK stated that losing to the world champions is not shameful for England.
"Perhaps the players should be vindicated. After their humiliating 4-1 defeat, fans angrily criticized the national team for losing to a team whose value is far below theirs, which is indeed embarrassing."
"But China has proven its strength and value. It can only be said that England's possession control strategy failed, thinking they could avoid trouble by avoiding Germany, only to meet another formidable opponent."
Italy's Tuttosport wrote that "Wang Feng represents the highest level of world football!"
"When a player integrates into a team of eleven, how much impact can he have? The Chinese superstar has demonstrated this to us very well. When his technical, physical, and mental states reach their peak, he can bring victories to the team."
"Wang Feng's success sets a benchmark for all football stars. Only those who can truly support the team can be called soul figures and kings of football."
In addition to traditional media, the internet is also enthusiastic about discussing Wang Feng's historical status. Almost everyone believes he can be ranked as the third football king after Pelé and Maradona.
Many radical fans even think that the achievements of the Chinese superstar completely surpass the two, and he should be ranked first in history, which has sparked heated discussions.
"It's too early to come to a conclusion now, after all, Wang Feng is still very young, and his career still has a long way to go. He will definitely achieve more in the future, so it's inappropriate to talk about being the first now." Rational fans said.
Of course, there are many detractors who continuously mock Wang Feng, believing that this World Cup is a scam, and FIFA deliberately arranged for the Chinese team to win the championship for market and idol-making purposes.
Such groundless claims naturally went unnoticed, and detractors found other points to criticize. "The level of football skills is getting worse and worse, to the point where Wang Feng is invincible. If he were put in previous leagues, he would probably be completely defeated."
Soon, someone retorted, "Please, take the time to understand when Wang Feng became famous. He was dominating the Italian Serie A at the age of 18, helping Inter Milan win the title."
"Who were his opponents back then? Rui Costa, Shevchenko, Nedved, Tresor, and Crespo."
"He was having fun with Zidane and Ronaldo, competing for the Ballon d'Or when Kaka was still at Sao Paulo, Cristiano Ronaldo was a substitute at Sporting Lisbon, and Messi was still growing."
"So, all you old-timers, can you please calm down? He came from that era and has remained evergreen until now."
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