Chapter Summaries

Su Dong won the FIFPro Annual Best Player award, and Rony warned that Brazil’s World Cup prospects could threaten Su Dong’s standing at Barcelona. Barcelona then narrowly beat Valencia 3–2, with Su Dong scoring once and assisting Deco’s winner, but their defensive problems remained evident.

• Su Dong received the FIFPro Annual Best Player award at the ceremony in London, while Rooney won Best Newcomer.
• Rony warned Su Dong that Brazil’s strength in the 2006 World Cup could make Ronaldinho Barcelona’s leading star, and Su Dong said he would answer by performing better.
• Su Dong and Ronaldinho presented their trophies to Barcelona fans before the club’s La Liga match against Valencia.
• Su Dong headed Barcelona’s opener after Ronaldinho’s blocked shot rebounded into the penalty area, then assisted Giuly’s goal to make it 2–0.
• Villa converted a penalty and scored again after Valdes’s clearance rebounded off him, bringing Valencia level at 2–2.
• Su Dong headed Ronaldinho’s cross back across goal, allowing Deco to score the winner as Barcelona defeated Valencia 3–2.

Barcelona beat Real Betis 4–1 after Su Dong came off the bench to score twice, and Messi added a late goal. Afterward, Su Dong defended his teammates and backed Iniesta, who was then named in Barcelona’s starting lineup alongside Messi and Ronaldinho for the Champions League match against Udinese.

• Rijkaard left Ronaldinho and Deco out of the squad against Real Betis after they apologized for partying, while Su Dong and Marcos Senna were rested from the starting lineup.
• Van Bommel scored for Barcelona, but Juanito equalized after Larsson missed chances, and Rijkaard brought Su Dong on in the second half.
• Su Dong scored twice soon after entering, first from Iniesta’s through ball and then from a move involving Messi, Iniesta, and Xavi.
• Messi capitalized on Assunção’s back-pass to score, sealing Barcelona’s 4–1 away victory.
• Su Dong defended Ronaldinho and Deco publicly and praised Iniesta, while Barcelona’s training photos appeared to show no conflict among the players.
• Rijkaard started Iniesta, Messi, and Ronaldinho in Barcelona’s Champions League match against Udinese.

Barcelona overwhelmed Udinese 7–0 at Camp Nou, as Messi shone in his first start and Ronaldinho scored a hat trick. Su Dong left after providing an assist hat trick and helping his teammates dominate, while Deco added a late penalty to seal the win.

• Messi started on the right wing and settled his nerves with Su Dong’s encouragement as Barcelona took control of possession.
• Messi won a free kick, and Ronaldinho curled it into the net to give Barcelona the lead.
• Messi scored from Su Dong’s assist, then set up Su Dong to make it 3–0; Ronaldinho added another goal before completing his hat trick from a free kick.
• Su Dong assisted Messi’s second goal early in the second half, completing his assist hat trick and putting Barcelona 6–0 ahead.
• Rijkaard substituted Su Dong to a standing ovation from the Camp Nou crowd.
• Deco converted a late penalty to complete Barcelona’s 7–0 victory over Udinese.

Barcelona surged through La Liga and the Champions League as Su Dong, Ronaldinho, and Messi powered a series of dominant wins. After Barcelona crushed Porto 5–0, Su Dong’s reputation as the team’s indispensable star continued to grow, while Diario AS doubted Real Madrid could challenge them.

• Barcelona came from behind to beat Zaragoza 2–1 after Su Dong and Messi entered as substitutes, prompting debate over Messi’s place and the lineup.
• Su Dong scored twice as Barcelona defeated Deportivo La Coruña 4–1, then scored twice again in a 2–0 Champions League win over Porto.
• Messi started against Osasuna, assisting Su Dong’s opening goal as Barcelona won 4–0, and Su Dong joked that his teammates competed to set him up.
• Su Dong scored in Barcelona’s 5–0 victory over Real Sociedad, with Ronaldinho, Puyol, and Larsson also scoring.
• Su Dong scored a hat trick as Barcelona beat Porto 5–0, while Marcos Senna and Messi added goals.
• Diario AS predicted Su Dong would win both major individual awards and questioned whether Luxemburgo’s Real Madrid or Robinho could keep pace with him.

Barcelona prepared to face Real Madrid after Su Dong scored and assisted in a win over Getafe, while Real Madrid suffered a damaging defeat to Deportivo La Coruña. Barcelona arrived in Madrid through a concealed airport exit, where Su Dong and his teammates joked with fans and each other before heading to their hotel.

• Su Dong scored once and set up Messi as Barcelona beat Getafe three-nil, then rested while Barcelona defeated Málaga two-nil.
• Deportivo La Coruña beat Real Madrid three-one at Riazor, exposing the team’s struggles against strong opponents and deepening criticism of Robinho’s poor form.
• Irureta and the Spanish media compared Robinho unfavorably with Su Dong and Messi as El Clásico approached.
• Barcelona used a diversion at T1 Terminal and quietly exited Madrid Airport through T2 Terminal to avoid the waiting crowd.
• Su Dong signed autographs and posed for a group photo with female fans, then joked with Messi and Ronaldinho about romance.
• Barcelona boarded a hotel shuttle as Atlético Madrid supporters called out encouragement to beat Real Madrid.

Barcelona took an early lead against Real Madrid when Su Dong finished Ronaldinho’s precise pass, then doubled the advantage with another powerful finish after Messi’s dribble. Fifteen minutes into El Clásico, Real Madrid were already reeling at the Bernabéu.

• Barcelona and Real Madrid began El Clásico with Barcelona controlling possession while Real Madrid pressed and looked for long passes to Robinho.
• Ronaldinho drew defenders toward the left flank and sent a lofted pass into the gap between Ramos and Helguera.
• Su Dong controlled Ronaldinho’s pass under Ramos’s pressure and scored past Casillas to put Barcelona ahead in the tenth minute.
• Real Madrid counterattacked through Zidane, Robinho, and Beckham, but Barcelona’s defenders cleared the resulting threats.
• Messi dribbled past Helguera and Su Dong shielded the ball from Ramos and Carlos before scoring beneath Casillas to make it 2–0 in the fifteenth minute.

Barcelona dominated Real Madrid in the first half, and Su Dong completed a hat trick with a curled finish to make it 3–0. As the players left the pitch, Real Madrid fans gave Su Dong a standing ovation, leaving him to acknowledge them from afar.

• Messi scored after a through pass from Su Dong, but the referee disallowed the goal for offside.
• Watching Real Madrid struggle, Florentino admitted he might no longer be suited to be president, and Manuel Redondo supported the idea of him stepping aside.
• Iniesta combined with Messi and sent a through ball into the penalty area, where Su Dong outmaneuvered Helguera and Carlos before curling a shot past Casillas.
• Su Dong's goal made the score 3–0 and completed his hat trick as Barcelona's players gathered to celebrate.
• Real Madrid fans applauded Su Dong as he walked toward the tunnel, and he waved and bowed in acknowledgment.

Barcelona crushed Real Madrid 5–0 at the Bernabéu, with Su Dong scoring a first-half hat trick and then creating chances for his teammates. After the victory, Barcelona overwhelmed Werder Bremen in the Champions League, and two unidentified guests left at halftime impressed by Su Dong and the team.

• Su Dong shifted from scoring to creating chances in the second half, helping Ronaldinho score as Barcelona beat Real Madrid 5–0.
• Real Madrid fans jeered Luxemburgo and Florentino after the final whistle, while media outlets praised Su Dong and criticized Real Madrid’s performance.
• Barcelona began their Champions League match against Werder Bremen with Su Dong in the starting lineup despite doubts that he would play.
• Su Dong scored three first-half goals against Werder Bremen, Ronaldinho scored from a free kick, and Su Dong helped Messi score to make it 5–0 by halftime.
• Two mysterious guests watched Su Dong and Barcelona’s attacking trio at Camp Nou, praised the team, and left before the second half because they had things to do.

Su Dong was confirmed as the Ballon d'Or winner for the second consecutive year, and France Football prepared the announcement and photographs at Camp Nou. The chapter ended with him posing with the trophy before the award was made public.

• Su Dong received congratulations from Messi, Ronaldinho, Rijkaard, Ten Cate, and his teammates before leaving the dressing room at halftime.
• Laporta brought Su Dong to meet France Football editor-in-chief Erno and photographer Prévost, who prepared an interview and photos for the Ballon d'Or announcement.
• Erno told Su Dong that he had won the fiftieth Ballon d'Or and described the planned ceremony honoring past winners.
• Su Dong discussed his career and thanked Cristiano Ronaldo, Benítez, his Barcelona teammates, Rijkaard, Ten Cate, and Laporta during the interview.
• Barcelona defeated Werder Bremen 5–1 after Larsson replaced Su Dong at halftime, while Su Dong remained away from the bench.
• After the stadium emptied, Su Dong posed with the Ballon d'Or trophy for photographs that would appear in France Football Magazine.

As the Ballon d’Or ceremony approached, Su Dong’s scoring and importance to Barcelona drew praise while Brazilian media campaigned for Ronaldinho, fueling rumors of rivalry. Ronaldinho cleared the air with Su Dong on their flight to Paris, where they arrived for the gala and Su Dong was widely expected to collect an award.

• After Barcelona’s win over Racing Santander, Brazilian media and Pelé backed Ronaldinho for the Ballon d’Or, while Catalan media cited Rijkaard, Messi, and Xavi praising Su Dong’s importance.
• Ronaldinho told Su Dong on the flight to Paris that he had not intended to provoke the controversy, and Su Dong reassured him and asked him to buy dinner.
• Begiristain and Sara Martin observed that Su Dong had earned support across Barcelona’s local and Brazilian groups through his performances and conduct.
• The Barcelona delegation arrived in Paris for France Football Magazine’s fiftieth-anniversary awards gala, where Su Dong and Ronaldinho were the only Barcelona players invited.
• Su Dong and Ronaldinho met Ronaldo for lunch, then welcomed familiar football figures as they arrived in Paris, with everyone expecting Su Dong to win an award.

At the Ballon d'Or ceremony, Su Dong met legendary figures including Platini and Beckenbauer, who openly invited him to join Bayern Munich in the future. Luis Suárez discussed the shifting prospects of European leagues with him, and Su Dong won his second Ballon d'Or, leaving determined to return to the podium.

• Su Dong met Platini and Beckenbauer at Cardin Plaza, where Beckenbauer told him Bayern Munich had twice missed chances to sign him and invited him to join in the future.
• Su Dong asked Luis Suárez whether Beckenbauer was poaching him, and Luis Suárez said Germany's youth reforms could make Germany Spain's strongest future rival.
• Luis Suárez advised Su Dong that the Premier League or Bundesliga would be preferable if he left La Liga, and warned him that Serie A faced financial troubles and a weakening talent pipeline.
• Su Dong reviewed the Ballon d'Or results, which showed the Premier League dominating the Best XI while no Serie A player made the top five.
• Su Dong accepted his second Ballon d'Or from Erno, thanked everyone at Barcelona, and vowed to return to the podium.

Su Dong defended his Ballon d'Or title, drawing praise from the global media and Barcelona fans. Back home, Messi and Iniesta inspected the trophy before Su Dong placed it in his trophy room and looked ahead to winning another award in December.

• France Football Magazine, Diario AS, Barcelona's rival newspaper, and Cruyff praised Su Dong's performances and his second consecutive Ballon d'Or win.
• Barcelona fans surrounded Su Dong at the airport, and he promised to strive for another Ballon d'Or next year.
• Messi and Iniesta examined Su Dong's new trophy and joked about its gold value, while Su Dong explained how it was made.
• Su Dong added the Ballon d'Or beside his previous trophies, and Messi hoped he would bring home the World Footballer of the Year award in December.

Barcelona weathered injuries and won several matches as Su Dong’s form and standing in the team grew. After scoring against Cadiz, Su Dong traveled to Zurich ahead of FIFA’s awards ceremony, with the chapter leaving his World Footballer of the Year win widely expected.

• Xavi ruptured his cruciate ligament during training, while Motta was still recovering, forcing Iniesta into the midfield as Rijkaard fell ill and Ten Cate took charge.
• Su Dong scored and Barcelona beat Villarreal 2–0; FIFA then named Su Dong, Ronaldinho, and Lampard among the finalists for the 2005 World Footballer of the Year award, with media expecting Su Dong to win.
• Barcelona beat Udinese 2–0 after Iniesta replaced Gabri and helped spark two late goals from Esquerro and himself.
• Su Dong displayed his Ballon d’Or to Barcelona supporters, then scored and assisted as Barcelona came from behind to beat Seville 2–1.
• Su Dong scored twice and assisted Messi’s goal in Barcelona’s 4–0 win over Cadiz, while Iniesta and Messi strengthened their places in the starting lineup.
• Su Dong returned to Barcelona with the team, rested for a day, and set off for Zurich ahead of FIFA’s awards ceremony.

In Zurich before the FIFA awards ceremony, Su Dong discussed potential Japanese endorsements with Mendes and Ma Dawei and considered hiring Ma to help expand his business in Asia. At a press conference, Su Dong addressed his absence from China’s national team and the World Cup, saying he would keep working to prove himself.

• Su Dong welcomed Mendes and Ma Dawei to his hotel suite and learned that Japanese companies wanted to discuss endorsement deals.
• Su Dong agreed to hear the Japanese brands’ offers but insisted that any sponsors be carefully vetted for public sentiment in China.
• Su Dong offered Ma Dawei a high salary and a share of profits to join his team and oversee business in China and Asia, and Ma said he would think about it.
• Su Dong asked Ma Dawei to bring Wang Chuqing to the negotiations because he trusted her legal expertise.
• Su Dong, Ronaldinho, and Lampard attended the FIFA press conference, where Su Dong said he would continue working hard despite being left out of China’s national team and the World Cup.

At FIFA’s annual awards ceremony in Zurich, Su Dong won World Footballer of the Year for the second consecutive year, defeating Ronaldinho and Lampard by a decisive margin. His victory received broad recognition worldwide, while his speech again highlighted the Chinese national team’s failure to select him.

• FIFA presented awards to Iquitos, Ballard, Fristk, Ghana, Brazil, and Prinz before the World Footballer of the Year announcement.
• Su Dong thanked his family and coaching team in his speech and pointedly acknowledged the two votes he had received from the Chinese National Team.
• Blatter announced Su Dong as the 2005 World Footballer of the Year, and Su Dong accepted the trophy alongside congratulations from Ronaldinho and Lampard.
• Su Dong thanked his supporters and said he hoped to return to the stage the following year.
• FIFA released the voting results, showing Su Dong had won by a crushing margin and received first-choice votes from coaches and captains across footballing powers.
• FIFA, media outlets, and fans around the world celebrated Su Dong’s second consecutive victory.

Su Dong scored twice and assisted once as Barcelona defeated Vigo Celta 3–0, then reaffirmed his commitment to China’s national team. Barcelona arrived in Japan for the Club World Cup, where Su Dong’s popularity drew a huge crowd and left Wang Chuqing jealous of his female fans.

• Su Dong returned from Zurich with Ronaldinho and Barcelona’s delegation, then displayed his major awards before Barcelona’s match against Vigo Celta.
• Su Dong scored twice, and Messi added a goal from Su Dong’s assist as Barcelona beat Vigo Celta 3–0.
• Su Dong credited his teammates for his scoring record, wished Xavi a quick recovery, and said he would represent only China.
• Su Dong rejected rumors that he disliked Japan and said he was looking forward to working with the country as fans mobbed him at Narita Airport.
• Ma Dawei worked with Mendes to develop Su Dong’s Asian market, while Wang Chuqing watched the airport commotion from a distance and grew jealous of the fans.

Barcelona defeated Saprissa 3–0 and São Paulo 3–1 to win the Club World Cup, with Su Dong scoring three goals across the two matches and earning the final’s Best Player award. After giving his Toyota prize car to Messi, Su Dong planned to fly to China with Messi and Iniesta.

• Su Dong scored twice as Barcelona beat Saprissa 3–0 in the semifinal, overpowering Drummond and eliminating the Costa Rican side.
• Su Dong scored twice in Barcelona’s 3–1 final victory over São Paulo, while Mineiro equalized and Ronaldinho added Barcelona’s third goal.
• Su Dong won the Club World Cup Top Scorer and Best Player awards and gave the Toyota Prius he received as a prize to Messi.
• Su Dong, Messi, and Iniesta planned to fly from Japan to China after Barcelona celebrated winning the Club World Cup.

While Su Dong enjoyed a week in Shanghai with Messi, Iniesta, and Wang Chuqing, Ma Dawei and Mendes pursued lucrative sponsorship deals in Japan and prepared to renegotiate his contract with Nike. Back in Barcelona, Su Dong gathered the squad and urged them to pursue an unprecedented treble after their five-title sweep in 2005.

• Ma Dawei reported that Japanese companies were eager to negotiate sponsorship deals, while Mendes said Su Dong’s high standards had limited the likely agreements to a handful.
• Mendes planned to demand a record Nike contract for Su Dong, using competition from Adidas and Tiger Woods’s expected renewal as leverage.
• Su Dong left his commercial affairs to Mendes and Ma Dawei, then spent a week sightseeing in Shanghai with Messi, Iniesta, and Wang Chuqing.
• Su Dong and his companions celebrated Christmas in Shanghai before traveling back to Europe, with Su Dong detouring through Munich to take Wang Chuqing there.
• Su Dong treated Barcelona’s players and coaching staff to dinner, then challenged them to win La Liga, the Champions League, and the Copa del Rey after their five-title sweep in 2005.

Barcelona returned from a UNICEF charity visit and resumed the season with wins over Zamora and Espanyol, while Su Dong’s dominance fueled departures and playing-time concerns. Barcelona remained far ahead in La Liga as Real Madrid struggled and Osasuna held second place.

• Su Dong and Barcelona’s players visited an orphanage in Tenerife, where they delivered gifts, and Su Dong discussed UNICEF aid for impoverished regions in his homeland.
• Su Dong agreed to serve as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador and began recruiting star players for a World Cup public-service campaign.
• Larsson announced that he planned to leave Barcelona after the season, while the club promised Giuly more playing time and refused to let him leave.
• Barcelona came from behind to beat Zamora 4–1 in the Copa del Rey, with Marcos Senna scoring twice.
• Su Dong scored twice as Barcelona defeated Espanyol 3–0, while Real Madrid drew with Villarreal and fell to sixth in the league.

Barcelona’s rotated lineup collapsed 3–0 against Zaragoza in the Copa del Rey quarterfinal first leg, exposing how toothless their attack was without Su Dong. Called on to rescue the team, Su Dong entered the dressing room confident he could break Zaragoza’s defense and proposed attacking with high crosses.

• Barcelona beat Zamora 6–0 with Larsson scoring twice, then defeated Athletic Bilbao 2–1 after goals from Ronaldinho and Messi.
• Rijkaard rested Su Dong and several other regulars for Barcelona’s first leg against Zaragoza, starting Larsson alongside Ronaldinho and Messi.
• Zaragoza exploited Barcelona’s high midfield line as Diego Milito and Ewerthon scored three times in quick succession.
• Jose Ramón de la Morena argued at halftime that Barcelona’s attack lacked threat without Su Dong and noted that Rijkaard had called him in from the substitutes’ warm-up.
• Ten Cate explained the planned adjustments to Su Dong, who entered the dressing room and urged Barcelona to return to attacking from the wings with high balls.
• Van Bommel questioned Su Dong’s suggestion, then fell quiet when Su Dong challenged his assessment, easing the tense mood among the players.