This period of intense, joyful focus was punctuated by the familiar, but always thrilling, arrival of an official email from the Royal Spanish Football Federation. Mateo was, once again, being called up to the senior national team for the upcoming international break. But this time, it felt different.
The opponent was Italy, at home in Madrid. This was not a friendly against a lower-ranked nation where he could be eased into the game; this was a heavyweight clash, a true test of his abilities on the highest stage.
For Mateo, who had been a part of the senior squad for nearly a year, the novelty of the call-up had been replaced by a quiet, determined focus. He was no longer the wide-eyed boy, just happy to be there.
He was an established member of the team, a player who was expected to contribute. Against an opponent like Italy, a team renowned for its defensive discipline and tactical cunning, that was a monumental challenge.
