"Thanks for looking after me, Victoria!" Su Hang laughed. "After all, we've only just gotten to know each other. I wouldn't just bring a new friend to meet my closest ones."
Victoria was delighted with his words. "So it seems I've become friends with the captain of Real Madrid too."
Su Hang shook his head quickly. "No, what I mean is, you're the new friend. Jennifer is my real friend."
Victoria was left speechless.
"But that just proves how much I trust you, doesn't it?" Su Hang motioned for Victoria and Beckham to sit. "Honestly, every time I see you, you look younger and more beautiful. How could I possibly think of you as an old friend?"
Hahaha!
Victoria laughed until she shook with amusement.
Beckham rolled his eyes.
If only I could be this smooth when I get into fights.
Soon, even bigger stars began to arrive.
Most weren't as popular as Beckham, but their performances over the past year had been even stronger.
Chelsea's young captain John Terry.
AC Milan's elegant playmaker Kaká.
Barcelona's "cheetah", Samuel Eto'o—the eternal rival of Real Madrid.
They took their seats alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, making for quite a spectacle.
But none of them reached the front row.
That belonged to the Ballon d'Or top ten.
Tenth place: Juventus' new prince, Sweden's towering giant, Zlatan Ibrahimović!
The young and dominant striker's technical ability was unmatched among players over 1.85 meters tall.
If the 1.70-meter Lionel Messi was considered to have Maradona-like, otherworldly control,
then Ibrahimović was the Maradona of tall players!
It was the prince's first appearance in the Ballon d'Or top ten, and he was clearly overjoyed.
Ninth place: Inter Milan's new emperor, Adriano!
Last season he bulldozed through opponents, shining for both club and country.
Six goals in seven matches earned him the Confederations Cup title and Golden Boot.
Once called "the next Ronaldo," he now possessed almost 90% of Ronaldo's ability.
In fact, he even seemed stronger than the current "glass-bodied Ronaldo" at Real Madrid.
Eighth place: AC Milan's captain Paolo Maldini.
One of the greatest left backs in the world, though equally capable at center back or right back.
Seventh place also went to Milan—Ukraine's nuclear warhead, Andriy Shevchenko!
Milan had reached the Champions League final, only to suffer Liverpool's stunning comeback—the infamous "Istanbul Miracle."
If not for that humiliation, Milan's players might have ranked even higher.
Sixth place: Arsenal's "King of Highbury," Thierry Henry!
Based on last season's numbers, Henry should have been top five.
But Real Madrid's miraculous title run, capped by a huge comeback against Barcelona, carried too much weight.
Especially in the second half of the season, two aging legends turned back the clock, flooding fans with nostalgia.
Under that shadow, Henry could only be pushed down the rankings.
And the man ahead of him in fifth place was… Luis Figo!
As Figo entered, the arena broke into applause.
It was the unique respect reserved for veterans.
Though only fifth this year, this former World Player of the Year and Ballon d'Or winner still carried the same aura as in his prime.
At thirty-two, he was already considered an old man in his position, with little chance of competing for major awards.
And this admired veteran took his seat right next to Su Hang.
"Congratulations!"
"Thank you! Keep working hard—I believe in you!"
Figo first embraced his Portuguese compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo but didn't greet the young model—too many others were clamoring for his attention.
Once seated, however, Su Hang introduced him to Jennifer.
The young model was practically gnashing her teeth with envy.
Fourth place went to Liverpool's captain, Steven Gerrard!
Last season's Champions League hero.
But his ranking also showed how much of a fluke Liverpool's triumph had been.
Despite lifting the trophy, no other Liverpool player made the top ten, and only one reached the top twenty. Gerrard's fourth-place finish highlighted their lack of overall dominance.
They had finished only fifth in the Premier League. Without that Champions League title, they wouldn't even have qualified this season.
The English press was clearly unhappy, insisting Gerrard deserved a top-three finish—or even the Ballon d'Or itself.
That left just three names: Ronaldinho, Lampard, and Zidane.
All three were midfielders.
With Gerrard in fourth and Figo in fifth, the top five were entirely midfielders!
Figo had been playing right wing and attacking midfield for Real Madrid. Though he kept a forward's style, his role was undeniably in midfield.
It reflected the decline of elite strikers in recent years.
Ronaldo was fading.
Henry, besides scoring, had to shoulder tactical duties and hold-up play, keeping him from focusing purely on finishing.
Shevchenko, despite his explosiveness and previous Ballon d'Or win, wasn't dominant enough to reach untouchable heights.
Clearly, midfielders had taken center stage.
In the end, Zidane came third.
Lampard, second.
And as expected, Ronaldinho lifted the Ballon d'Or!
It was a controversial result.
Lampard had led Chelsea to the title with just one loss, racked up eighteen assists—nearly a league record—and scored thirteen goals. His numbers were staggering.
Zidane had defeated Ronaldinho head-to-head, securing La Liga.
Ronaldinho's style dazzled, his stats sparkled, and he had won the Confederations Cup, breaking thirty goals for the season… but Barcelona finished with nothing!
No trophies, yet he claimed the Ballon d'Or.
Did that mean players from weaker leagues who piled up fifty or sixty goals could win too?
On-site, in the media, and online, debate raged endlessly.
The ceremony was disrupted, the host repeatedly calling for silence.
Until he had a sudden idea and turned to Su Hang.
"Su Hang, as Real Madrid's captain, what do you think of your archrival Ronaldinho winning the Ballon d'Or?"
"Earlier, you seemed to offer him congratulations outside, didn't you?"
Yes.
If you can't solve the problem, create another to steal its spotlight.
Barcelona's star wins the award—what does Real Madrid's captain have to say?
Sure enough, the hall fell silent.
All eyes turned toward Su Hang.
He and Jennifer appeared on the giant screen, their faces broadcast to fans in more than 150 countries and regions.
Su Hang took the microphone with a smile. "I must admit, over the past year, Ronaldinho has conquered the world!"
The crowd froze in disbelief.
The next moment, Eto'o and the Barcelona players burst into wild applause.
This was the highest recognition from their rival!
Even the proud captain of Real Madrid had to acknowledge the Ballon d'Or winner!
But Su Hang wasn't done.
"Yet even Ronaldinho himself must admit…" Su Hang grinned, "over the past year, Su Hang has conquered Ronaldinho!"
"Because the championship belongs to Real Madrid!"