Chapter Summaries

After Manchester United thrashed Tottenham, Tang Ye discussed Cristiano Ronaldo’s tactical disagreements with reporters and returned to China for national team duty. As China prepared to face Oman, Tang Ye received a new mission and learned the match was about to begin.

• Tang Ye said he believed Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik ten Hag could resolve their conflict, while explaining that he would keep taking suitable free kicks and cooperate on set pieces when needed.
• Tang Ye received the Talent Optimizer (Excellent) reward and a mission requiring him to win two consecutive matches and score in both.
• Wu Lei, Zhang Xizhe, and Zhang Yuning asked Tang Ye about his disagreement with Cristiano Ronaldo, and Tang Ye explained that their main dispute concerned pressing versus crossing tactics.
• Escribá told China’s players they would continue using 4-2-3-1 against Oman while practicing a possible 4-4-2 for later qualifiers, and Tang Ye suspected the change was meant for Japan.
• Fans heading to Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre mistakenly entered the tennis stadium before finding the football venue, and the China–Oman qualifier began with Ivanković coaching Oman.

China defeated Oman 3-0 in the Asian Cup qualifiers, with Tang Ye scoring and setting up Zhang Yuning after Wu Lei opened the scoring. After the final whistle, fans unveiled a tifo honoring Tang Ye as the Return of the King.

• Zhang Linpeng won the ball and China worked it forward, allowing Wu Lei to score in the sixth minute.
• Tang Ye scored from a direct free kick to put China 2-0 ahead, prompting Ivan Ivanković to switch Oman into a defensive formation.
• Tang Ye and Wu Lei confronted Al-Saadi after he shoved Wu Lei during a dispute with the referee.
• Escribá shifted China into a 4-4-2, and Tang Ye helped the team keep possession before setting up Zhang Yuning to make it 3-0.
• China finished the match with a 3-0 win over Oman, and thousands of fans unveiled a tifo depicting Tang Ye with two Ballon d'Or trophies and the words “The Return of the King.”

China beat Oman 3-0 to claim their fourth win in five qualifying matches, and the team celebrated before their next match against the United Arab Emirates. The celebration ended with Escribá answering Erik ten Hag’s call to Tang Ye and smashing Tang Ye’s phone after an argument.

• Tang Ye scored from a free kick and assisted twice as China beat Oman 3-0, while Ivan Ivanković faced boos and reporters asked whether he remembered Tang Ye from their time at Luneng.
• China reached 13 points and tied Japan at the top of Group B, with the teams separated by one goal on goal difference.
• Escribá argued with Mati about Erik ten Hag’s comments, then joined Tang Ye and the team at the celebration banquet.
• Tang Ye poured drinks for Escribá and Mati, celebrated China’s next match against the United Arab Emirates, and left his phone on the table when he went to the bathroom.
• Escribá answered Erik ten Hag’s call to Tang Ye, accused him of trying to bring Tang Ye back to Manchester United early, and traded insults with him before throwing the phone.
• Tang Ye returned, saw his shattered iPhone on the floor, and realized it was his phone.

Tang Ye returned to Guangdong with the China national football team, drew attention from fans and the media, and prepared for their match against the United Arab Emirates. Japan’s draw with Saudi Arabia gave China a chance to reclaim first place in Group B with a win.

• Tang Ye told Zhang Yuning he felt caught between Escribá and Erik ten Hag after Escribá had confronted the manager, then asked Zhang to order him a phone because his was gone.
• Manchester United drew 2-2 with Manchester City as Varane and Phil Foden were injured, while pundits warned that further injuries could threaten United’s season.
• The Sun reported that Adidas might need to renew Tang Ye’s endorsement deal before the Qatar World Cup, citing an estimated value exceeding 35 million euros per year.
• Tang Ye arrived at Baiyun Airport with the China national football team, greeted fans, and signed jerseys before attending a Guangdong sports-industry meeting by video.
• China learned that Japan had drawn 2-2 with Saudi Arabia, meaning a win over the United Arab Emirates could put China back on top of Group B.

China hosted the United Arab Emirates at Tianhe Sports Center, where Escribá started the national team in a 4-4-2 and urged them to attack aggressively. China created several chances but remained scoreless, and the United Arab Emirates began to threaten on the counterattack.

• Zhang Xiaohan said Guangdong had consulted Tang Ye before bidding to host the qualifier and expected his hometown support to help him.
• A packed Tianhe Sports Center chanted for Tang Ye as he predicted he would score twice, while Escribá told him to stay calm.
• China started in a 4-4-2 and pressed the United Arab Emirates; Tang Ye was pulled down by two defenders during an early attack.
• Tang Ye set up Wu Lei for a goal, but the assistant referee ruled Wu Lei offside, and China later squandered a corner chance.
• After Wei Shihao lost control of the ball, the United Arab Emirates countered toward Saleh, who accidentally nutmegged Feng Xiaoting.

Ali Saleh scored for the United Arab Emirates and provoked the home crowd with a three-stripe knee-slide, but Tang Ye equalized before Wei Shihao assisted Wu Lei for a 2:1 China lead. Tang Ye later converted a penalty to make it 3:1, and Escribá kept him on the pitch as the match continued.

• Ali Saleh scored past Yan Junling, then celebrated with a three-stripe knee-slide that angered China’s players and fans.
• Tang Ye scored a powerful shot to equalize for China after combining with Wu Lei and Wei Shihao.
• Wei Shihao set up Wu Lei to score and give China a 2:1 lead after the referee confirmed the goal.
• At halftime, Escribá substituted Zhang Yuning for Wu Lei, who had a yellow card and injury concerns.
• Tang Ye’s free kick helped earn China a penalty, and he converted it to put the team ahead 3:1.
• Escribá decided to let Tang Ye play the full match despite considering a substitution.

Tang Ye scored a hat trick as China defeated the United Arab Emirates 4:1, strengthening their position in the World Cup qualifying group. After fans celebrated Tang Ye and Escribá, Tang Ye received an Excellent Talent Optimizer and considered how to use it.

• Tang Ye headed in Wang Shenchao’s cross for his third goal, sealing China’s 4:1 win over the United Arab Emirates.
• China’s players and fans celebrated on the pitch, and supporters lifted Escribá into the air.
• The updated standings showed China leading Group B with 16 points, nine ahead of third-place Oman, while Escribá said the team would focus on preparing to beat Vietnam.
• Escribá told reporters that joining China had been the right choice and said the fans’ support had exceeded his expectations.
• Tang Ye returned to his room, saw that his mission to score in both matches was complete, and received an Excellent Talent Optimizer with two possible uses.

Tang Ye improved his ball control and returned to Manchester United, where he and Cristiano Ronaldo remained at odds over the team's tactics and hierarchy. As Manchester United prepared to face Chelsea, FIFA's World Footballer of the Year nominees included six United players, Tang Ye among them.

• Tang Ye upgraded his ball control to Unparalleled, raising his attribute to 94 and his overall rating to Transcendent (Pseudo-Saint).
• At the national-team celebration banquet, Tang Ye told Li Tie he would keep his Evergrande shares because the company had supported the team.
• Tang Ye returned to Manchester, and The Sun stirred up fan rivalry by comparing his private jet with Cristiano Ronaldo's.
• Manchester United beat Watford 3–0 and Ajax 2–0, with Tang Ye playing only as a substitute against Ajax ahead of matches against Chelsea and Arsenal.
• Rodri encouraged Tang Ye to ease tensions with Cristiano Ronaldo, and Tang Ye acknowledged that the team's tactics could not change to satisfy Ronaldo.
• FIFA announced the World Footballer of the Year nominees, including Tang Ye, Rodri, de Jong, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ousmane Dembélé, and Matthijs de Ligt from Manchester United.

Manchester United prepared to face Arsenal as Ballon d'Or speculation intensified, and Ousmane Dembélé publicly said the team would boycott the ceremony if Tang Ye did not win both awards. The chapter ended with the match beginning at Old Trafford.

• Manchester United beat Chelsea 2-1, with Tang Ye scoring twice, and finished November unbeaten in all competitions.
• Newspapers and fans debated whether Tang Ye would win the 2020 and 2021 Ballon d'Or awards, while Cristiano Ronaldo asked Tang Ye whether he had heard any news about the results.
• Before the Arsenal match, Ousmane Dembélé told reporters that Tang Ye deserved both awards and said Manchester United would refuse to attend the ceremony if he did not win them.
• In the locker room, Rodri and Mitchell van der Gaag warned Ousmane Dembélé that his comments sounded like a threat, but Erik ten Hag supported the team's refusal to attend if Tang Ye lost.
• Manchester United and Arsenal kicked off at Old Trafford after Tang Ye greeted Bukayo Saka in the players' tunnel.

Tang Ye led Manchester United to a 4–0 win over Arsenal, setting up goals for Bruno Fernandes, Matthijs de Ligt, and Marcus Rashford before Rashford scored again from a penalty. Manchester United remained unbeaten in the league, while Tang Ye’s Ballon d’Or ceremony was a week away.

• Bruno Fernandes put Manchester United ahead in the 18th minute after Cristiano Ronaldo, Frenkie de Jong, and Ousmane Dembélé helped move the ball into attack.
• Arsenal targeted Cristiano Ronaldo with physical challenges, and Erik ten Hag substituted him after he received a yellow card.
• Tang Ye sent a Rabona pass into the box for Matthijs de Ligt to head in Manchester United’s second goal before halftime.
• After halftime, Tang Ye assisted Marcus Rashford, who finished to make it 3–0 and celebrated with Tang Ye’s encouragement.
• Tang Ye won a penalty in the 76th minute and let Rashford take it; Rashford scored to complete Manchester United’s 4–0 victory.
• Manchester United earned their 13th league win of the season and stayed unbeaten, while commentators noted that the Ballon d’Or ceremony was approaching.

Manchester United’s players and fans waited for the Ballon d’Or results while Tang Ye struggled through a distracted performance against Crystal Palace. After the match, a call confirmed that he had won two Ballon d’Or awards, sending the locker room into celebration.

• Manchester United’s players joked that Dembélé had caused a media storm by saying the team might skip the Ballon d’Or ceremony, while Tang Ye said he still did not know the results.
• Tang Ye struggled in training and played poorly for 65 minutes against Crystal Palace, who Manchester United defeated 2–1 through goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Varane.
• Manchester United fans unveiled a tifo depicting Tang Ye wearing a crown and holding two Ballon d’Or trophies.
• After the match, Tang Ye received a phone call and told his teammates that he had won two awards, prompting the locker room to erupt in celebration.

Manchester United arrived at the Ballon d'Or ceremony as a full squad, fueling speculation that Tang Ye had won an award, while Tang Ye kept the result secret. Jude Bellingham won the Kopa Trophy, and the ceremony continued toward its main awards.

• Dembélé clarified that his threat to skip the ceremony had been a joke, and he said Manchester United would attend regardless of Tang Ye's result.
• Manchester United lost 2–0 to Atlético Madrid after Erik ten Hag rested and substituted many starters, then confirmed the whole squad would attend the ceremony.
• Tang Ye arrived in Paris with Zhou Ye, and Cristiano Ronaldo joined the Manchester United contingent; reporters questioned Zhou Ye about Tang Ye's chances, but she said nothing.
• Tang Ye congratulated Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham, and Haaland revealed that Bellingham would win the Kopa Trophy.
• The ceremony announced Jude Bellingham as the Kopa Trophy winner.

Tang Ye won the 2021 Ballon d'Or, his second at age twenty-two, after the ceremony announced the rankings. The event then began a supplementary ceremony for the canceled 2020 Ballon d'Or, leaving its winner to be revealed.

• Jude Bellingham won the Kopa Trophy and thanked former Borussia Dortmund teammates, including Tang Ye, for supporting him.
• The ceremony announced the 2021 Ballon d'Or rankings, with Ousmane Dembélé fourth, Robert Lewandowski third, and Lionel Messi second.
• Tang Ye was named the 2021 Ballon d'Or winner and accepted the trophy from former Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo.
• Tang Ye said he had more to say but would save it for later, then celebrated with Zhou Ye and Ousmane Dembélé.
• Infantino explained that FIFA and France Football had resumed the 2020 Ballon d'Or selection and began its supplementary award ceremony.

Tang Ye won the 2020 Ballon d'Or, joining the 2021 award he had already received and bringing his career total to three at age 22. After discussing his rise and the Messi-Ronaldo era in an interview, he left the chapter amid debate over whether he had created a new football era.

• The Ballon d'Or rankings named Lionel Messi third and Robert Lewandowski second, leaving Tang Ye as the 2020 winner.
• Tang Ye accepted the 2020 Ballon d'Or while holding his 2021 trophy, then celebrated with Zhou Ye, his teammates, and other guests.
• Ronaldo and Infantino joined Tang Ye for photographs before Tang Ye answered questions about his awards and whether Cristiano and Rio's era had ended.
• Tang Ye described his move to the Netherlands at fifteen and said young players needed to work hard so coaches would give them opportunities.
• Mundo Deportivo featured Tang Ye with both trophies and discussed whether his achievements at 22 marked a new football era.

Tang Ye celebrated winning the 2020 and 2021 Ballon d'Ors, reflected on his career and China’s World Cup ambitions, and returned to Manchester United. After a fan briefly stole one trophy at the airport, Erik ten Hag reminded Tang Ye and the team to focus on winning future titles.

• Tang Ye won the 2020 and 2021 Ballon d'Ors and credited Utrecht and Erik ten Hag during his acceptance speech.
• Tang Ye praised Jude Bellingham, discussed Cristiano Ronaldo and his Ballon d'Or ambitions, and said China’s national team should aim beyond the World Cup Round of 16.
• Fans across China celebrated Tang Ye’s awards, while journalists debated his praise for Bellingham and the future of football.
• At Manchester Airport, a fan ran off with Tang Ye’s 2020 Ballon d'Or, but airport security helped recover it.
• Tang Ye’s Manchester United teammates teased him about his awards, and Erik ten Hag told the squad to stay focused on winning every trophy.
• A FourFourTwo editor-in-chief argued that FIFA had helped restart the 2020 Ballon d'Or voting to establish Tang Ye as football’s next global star.

Manchester United crushed Norwich City 4-0 as Tang Ye celebrated his return to form and the team extended its dominant league run. The Champions League knockout draw then paired Manchester United with Inter Milan, leaving Inter’s newly appointed manager Inzaghi facing a daunting tie.

• Tang Ye celebrated Manchester United’s third goal against Norwich City and refused to show the fans his Ballon d’Or trophies before their planned home display against Burnley.
• Rashford scored Manchester United’s fourth goal, sealing a 4-0 win that left the club top of the Premier League with 46 points after fifteen wins and one draw.
• Erik ten Hag said Manchester United had planned to build a league advantage before the Champions League knockouts and challenged other teams to worry about drawing them.
• James again called Tang Ye the GOAT and said he had predicted Tang Ye’s greatness when they first met in 2017.
• The Champions League draw briefly paired Manchester United with Manchester City, but the pairing was invalid because the clubs shared a league.
• The completed draw matched Manchester United with Inter Milan, and Inzaghi insisted that Manchester United were not unbeatable.

After Manchester United drew Inter Milan in the Champions League, Tang Ye received a knockout-stage mission and learned that Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik ten Hag had clashed over tactics. As Manchester United prepared for Burnley, the club planned a Ballon d’Or celebration for Tang Ye at Old Trafford.

• Inter Milan chairman Steven Zhang said the club would not give up against Manchester United and would not sack Inzaghi solely for poor results caused by uncontrollable factors.
• Tang Ye received a Champions League knockout-stage mission requiring Manchester United to reach the semifinals or win both quarterfinal legs.
• Cristiano Ronaldo told Tang Ye that Erik ten Hag wanted to see him, and Tang Ye noticed Ronaldo seemed upset.
• Erik ten Hag told Tang Ye that Ronaldo wanted him to change tactics, but insisted Ronaldo needed to change instead; he also warned Tang Ye not to be misled by Ronaldo.
• Manchester United released a Christmas greeting video featuring Tang Ye, Cristiano Ronaldo, and their teammates, while reports said Erik ten Hag wanted to sign a new striker.
• Manchester United prepared to host Burnley on December 30, with a Ballon d’Or celebration planned for Tang Ye before kickoff as fans chanted his name at Old Trafford.

Tang Ye celebrated his two Ballon d'Or awards at Old Trafford before captaining Manchester United against Burnley. United scored three times in the first half, and the chapter ended with commentators noting the team's new two-phase attack.

• Tang Ye brought his two Ballon d'Or trophies onto the pitch, praised Manchester United and Old Trafford, and declared United his favorite club.
• Manchester United and Burnley players congratulated Tang Ye before the match, and Erik ten Hag fielded a reshuffled United lineup.
• Mason Greenwood scored in the 6th minute after Cristiano Ronaldo won the ball and Tang Ye set up the pass.
• Tang Ye dispossessed Koke in midfield, Greenwood crossed, and Cristiano Ronaldo made it 2-0 in the 11th minute.
• B. Fee passed forward to Tang Ye, who helped move the ball through Cristiano Ronaldo to de Jong, whose long-range goal put United 3-0 ahead in the 25th minute.

Manchester United overwhelmed Burnley as Tang Ye helped Cristiano Ronaldo score a hat-trick, leaving the visitors trailing 7:1. Tang Ye and Ronaldo were substituted together, while questions remained about whether Ronaldo could fit into Erik ten Hag’s system.

• Tang Ye combined with Cristiano Ronaldo and crossed into the box, where Benjamin’s clearance became an own goal to make it 4:0.
• Cristiano Ronaldo asked Tang Ye for more chances, then scored his second goal from Tang Ye’s free-kick delivery before halftime.
• Tang Ye set up Jesse Lingard to make it 6:0 after the break, and Aaron Lennon scored Burnley’s lone goal in the 66th minute.
• Tang Ye broke quickly from a foul and helped launch a counterattack that ended with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring his first Manchester United hat-trick since returning.
• Erik ten Hag showed little excitement over the hat-trick, and Tang Ye and Cristiano Ronaldo came off together in the 75th minute.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in Manchester United’s 7-1 win over Burnley, but his interview fueled speculation that his real conflict was with Erik ten Hag. As 2022 began, Manchester United celebrated the New Year with Chinese fans while reports highlighted the club’s transfer-budget and wage problems; Victor Osimhen’s proposed price made a January signing look unlikely.

• Cristiano Ronaldo discussed Tang Ye’s assists and his improved relationship with him in a post-match interview, while denying that Erik ten Hag had helped mend it.
• Sky Sports speculated that Cristiano Ronaldo’s growing tension was with Erik ten Hag, and a Mundo Deportivo reporter dismissed the value of Ronaldo’s hat-trick and advised limiting his playing time.
• Tang Ye, B. Fee, Rodri, and Ousmane Dembélé filmed a New Year greeting for Chinese fans and tried writing Chinese calligraphy, with Tang Ye teasing B. Fee’s characters.
• Reports linked Manchester United with Victor Osimhen, but Napoli demanded 100 million euros and Romano said the deal was unlikely unless the price fell below 80 million euros.
• The chapter explained that Manchester United’s high wage bill and limited January funds made buying Osimhen difficult.