Post-match press conference.
"Lin, I'm a reporter from Sky Sports."
"Regarding the upcoming knockout draw, which team would you most like to face?"
Leo Lin replied calmly, "Honestly, it doesn't matter who we draw. To me, there's no real difference."
Arrogant.
The reporters exchanged looks. None of them had expected such a bold answer from Leo Lin.
He continued without pause.
"Because they're all teams worthy of respect, all strong sides. Anyone who makes it to the knockout stage of the U17 World Cup has their own style and their own strengths."
Sitting beside him, Denia let out a long breath. He'd known it—there was no way a young player this outstanding on the pitch would lack emotional intelligence.
To a certain extent, football IQ and emotional intelligence go hand in hand, both shaping a player's performance on the field.
By finishing top of their group, Spain would avoid a number of powerhouse teams in the draw.
The strongest possible opponent they could face was Mali, a side stacked with talented midfielders like Doucouré—classic big, physical, hard-nosed players.
Apart from Mali, the other potential opponents were Iran and Albania.
With no disrespect to any team, on October 8th, when the squad gathered to watch the knockout draw, Denia clasped his hands together in prayer, silently repeating "Albania" over and over.
He was even more devout than the day he stood before a priest and vowed himself to his wife.
Denia wasn't afraid of Mali. He simply knew that if Spain wanted to stay fresh and preserve their physical reserves before the semifinals, drawing a relatively weaker opponent in the quarterfinals would be a huge advantage.
If the opponent were Albania, he could rotate at least half the starting lineup.
Key players would get proper rest, all in preparation for the semifinals.
From a tactical perspective, Denia genuinely hoped for Albania.
The special draw guests, Didier Drogba and Spanish legend Casillas, stepped up to begin the draw.
Very quickly, the matchups started to take shape.
"Brazil's quarterfinal opponent is France!"
As Casillas drew France for Brazil, the smile on his face was impossible to hide.
Two title favorites meeting this early meant one of them would be eliminated—a best-case scenario for Spain.
Denia felt a quiet sense of relief. If they hadn't finished first in their group, Spain might well have been the ones facing France right now.
"England draw Iran!"
With Iran pulled out for England, the picture became even clearer.
Casillas then drew Spain, while Drogba reached for another ball and slowly opened it. The slip of paper inside read: Mali.
"Spain will face Mali in the quarterfinals!"
"Crack."
The tension in Denia's chest finally shattered. Beside him, Leo Lin looked rather pleased, patting Denia on the thigh.
"Not bad."
"Mali's a good draw."
Denia forced a bitter smile, even though he couldn't see what was so good about it.
Spain would have to field their strongest possible lineup. Mali were anything but weak—if anything, they possessed the toughest midfield in this World Cup.
Doucouré, paired with Traoré and Samaké, were all classic big, physical enforcers, dubbed the "midfield iron triangle" by fans.
Doucouré in particular stood out. When those long legs got swinging, they carried an almost sinister force, and he currently led the U17 World Cup in average interceptions per match.
Denia continued drilling the team on their wing-to-center attacking patterns. Against a brutally physical side like Mali, Spain would need to use changes of tempo to tear open the defense.
Spanish fans were buzzing with anticipation, eagerly awaiting Leo Lin's performance.
With the draw complete, Spain went all in on preparation.
At the same time, Barnett, who had accompanied Leo Lin to the U17 World Cup, received a business proposal. A company specializing in safes approached Leo Lin.
They wanted him as their spokesperson, building their slogan around his fierce on-field defending and airtight interceptions. They claimed their safes were just like Leo Lin's defense—impenetrable and exceptionally secure, capable of protecting users' most valuable possessions.
The two of them first visited the company and carried out real-world tests to verify the safes' protective capabilities. The tests included, but weren't limited to, Barnett launching a full-on assault with a power drill, smashing them with a sledgehammer, and even quietly releasing "toxic gas" attacks—all of which the safes successfully blocked.
Satisfied with their performance, Leo Lin accepted the endorsement deal.
The contract ran for two years, with an annual endorsement fee of 400,000 euros, and the company also gifted Leo Lin a safe for his personal use.
Once everything was finalized, the ad shoot began. Leo Lin held the safe, showing off his powerful arms.
"Power Safe—protects your valuables, protects your stash, protects everything you own!"
"Defense as strong as mine, protection as steady as mine. You deserve it!"
If nothing else, the safe company's unexpectedly bold endorsement style and slogan alone convinced many viewers they'd definitely buy a safe.
Sure enough, the comments flooding the ad were all variations of the same thing:
"Next time, for sure."
"Next time after next time, I'll definitely buy one!"
Safe company owner: "Let's not wait for next time… how about this time?"
October 10th.
U17 World Cup official livestream.
Special guest commentators Casillas, David Villa, and Zidane were all present.
"In my view, Spain have the upper hand, but this match could be dragged into extra time. They've spent a lot of energy so far, while Mali have relatively less fatigue."
"Mali may play a very physical style, but Spain can disrupt their defensive structure with sharp passing and changes of tempo."
Casillas naturally supported Spain, but he also knew just how strong Mali were.
Real-time fan polls showed 58% backing Spain, only slightly ahead of Mali.
Of course, that likely had something to do with Spain having far more fans than Mali.
Pre-match livestream chat.
"Trust me—last night my ancestors came to me in a dream. Mali's winning this one!"
"Spain vs. Mali is like knights versus orcs. Orcs will never be slaves!!!"
"Orcs will never be slaves? Please. Knights stand for glory. I'm calling it 7–0—Spain's going to smash Mali."
"Seven goals? Come on, that's way over the top. No matter the gap, if they keep their heads, control the game, and defend properly, they're not conceding seven."