The hum of the stadium faded into white noise for Rodri as he stepped onto the pitch. He wasn’t thinking about the crowd or the cameras. Only the game.

“Everything goes through you today,” the coach had said minutes earlier, a hand on Rodri’s shoulder. “Control the middle, and we control the match.”

Rodri nodded. He didn’t need more.

Now, as the whistle blew, he received the ball under pressure. One touch to settle, one to shift. A pass split the lines cleanly, turning defense into attack.

From the sidelines, a voice shouted, “That’s it, Rodri!”

He didn’t react. He didn’t need to. The game was just beginning, and he was already in command.