Football/Soccer: The Legend

After Maxi returned to Munich, he and his friend group—Isa, Melina, Eli, Sydney, and Willy—all gathered together.

Maxi excitedly shared most of what had happened during his trip. Everyone listened with enthusiasm, even Melina and Isa, who weren't usually too interested in football. Isa playfully rolled her eyes, while Melina nodded along, pretending to be more invested than she actually was.

Time flew by as they talked, and soon life returned to its usual pace. There was still some time left before the long-awaited summer vacation arrived, and the thought of it made Maxi almost restless. His mind kept wandering to the summer ahead, and how much he was looking forward to it.

The football season was also coming to an end, meaning Maxi wouldn't be able to watch or play in any Bayern games for a while. He sighed, already missing the thrill of the pitch.

Maxi was eager for time to pass quickly. He couldn't wait for the summer when he would visit his cousin Jamal in London. Jamal had even promised to introduce him to his best friend, Levi Colwill.

Jamal was often shy and reserved, opening up only to people he trusted. Maxi had always worried that Jamal wouldn't find friends quickly enough, especially since his English was limited to a mix of German, broken English, and football terms. Maxi had always wished he could help Jamal overcome his social anxiety, but he knew Jamal would have to find his own way.

When Jamal first arrived at Southampton's training base, he struggled to connect with others. But then, he met Levi Colwill.

"Na, was geht? Jamal. Hello. Football. I love football. Cool. Football, bro. Jamal."

This was the first sentence Jamal said to Levi. When Maxi heard about it later, he couldn't stop laughing. He imagined Jamal's awkwardness, and it made him chuckle. He even prepared to console Jamal, thinking there was no way Levi would want to talk to him again after that introduction.

But Maxi had underestimated the power of football. Levi didn't seem to mind. He kept talking to Jamal, and they bonded over their shared love of the game. Slowly, Jamal's English improved, and Levi became his best friend.

The two of them eventually joined Chelsea's youth training program together. Whenever Maxi and Jamal talked, Jamal often mentioned Levi. Maxi was thrilled for his cousin but also a little jealous that he had yet to meet him in person. But this summer's trip was going to be different—Maxi was going to be in the UK longer than usual, which meant he'd finally meet Levi.

Little did Maxi know, a surprise awaited him, Jamal, and a few others—something none of them could have predicted.

Time passed quickly as Maxi eagerly anticipated summer vacation. After saying goodbye to Isa and the others, he packed up his school things and took the next bus to Säbener Straße. It was his last training session of the season. Everyone else was already enjoying their free time, but Maxi still had solo training with Beckenbauer.

"Damn old man. I just want to go to England," Maxi thought, frustration bubbling inside him. He wanted to be on his way to London, but first, he had to finish his duties in Munich.

The bus soon arrived at the training center, and Maxi walked into the massive building, the familiar scent of leather balls and fresh grass filling his nose.

He greeted the guard at the door with practiced ease and headed toward Beckenbauer's office. As he walked down the corridor, the sound of muffled voices caught his attention, but he didn't think much of it. It wasn't unusual for Beckenbauer to meet with coaches—Maxi himself had often bumped into Guardiola, the current Bayern coach.

But when Maxi opened the door, he froze.

"WHAT?!"

Maxi's voice echoed through the room as he saw his cousins Jamal, Latisha, and Jerrell, along with his aunt Caroline and uncle Richard, standing there. And standing next to them was another boy—Levi Colwill. Maxi recognized him immediately from pictures.

To his shock, his own parents, Carlos and Sophie, were there too.

"What are you all doing here?" Maxi asked, his voice trembling with disbelief.

"We're all going to Brazil!" Sophie exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

The room erupted with enthusiasm. Jamal and the others had only found out about the trip a week earlier, and they were just as thrilled as Maxi was.

The only ones who weren't visibly excited were Beckenbauer and Carlos.

Beckenbauer seemed unfazed, used to such grand plans. But Carlos appeared lost in thought, his face marked by worry. Maxi didn't notice, too caught up in the moment, but Sophie did.

Sophie discreetly nudged Carlos with her elbow to hide his concern from Maxi. Carlos quickly put on a smile, though anyone who looked closely could see the unease in his eyes.

"As a reward for your national team debut, I've decided to take you, your family, and some of your friends to the World Cup in Brazil," Beckenbauer announced with a smile.

"My friends too?!" Maxi asked, his voice rising with excitement. The idea of traveling to Brazil with his closest friends and family was a dream come true.

"Yes, your entire friend group—including your little girlfriend," Beckenbauer teased, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Maxi's face turned beet red, but he didn't deny the statement, which only made the adults laugh harder. Jamal and the other kids joined in, amused by Maxi's embarrassment.

"The others will be informed by their parents soon. They've already agreed to let us take their kids to Brazil," Sophie added, her excitement contagious.

Maxi immediately turned to Jamal, his eyes wide with anticipation. Jamal gave him a matching look, his grin equally as broad. Watching a World Cup match together had been their shared dream since the last Euros, and now it was finally coming true.

"WE'RE GOING TO BRAZIL!" Maxi and Jamal shouted in unison, their voices filled with pure joy.

The two cousins, along with Levi and Latisha, quickly left the room and headed out to the football pitch outside. Young Jerrell stayed behind, still too small to join them just yet.

Outside on the pitch, Jamal introduced Levi to Maxi with a grin.

"This is my cousin Maxi. You already know all about him—I've told you everything!" Jamal said, a bit embarrassed.

"Same here. Maxi knows all about you too," Jamal added.

"Nice to meet you," Maxi said, extending a handshake.

"Nice to meet you too," Levi replied with a smile.

For a moment, there was an awkward silence. None of them quite knew what to say next. Latisha, however, was unfazed. She was just happy to be reunited with her cousin, who felt like an older brother to her.

"Wanna play football?" all three boys said at once.

"Hahaha!"

They all burst into laughter and quickly began playing.

The game brought Maxi and Levi closer, their shared love for football making the bond effortless. They kicked the ball around, laughing and joking, as the day turned into one they would always remember.