The Football Legends System

The air in the changing room was thick, not with sweat, but with a silence heavier than any tackle. The final whistle still echoed in Nathan's ears, a phantom ring that left an ache in his chest. Argentina 2 – England 1. The scoreboards wouldn't lie, no matter how much he stared at them.

Nathan sat on the bench, not bothering to change. His jersey felt like a second skin, soaked and clinging. He watched his teammates, their faces etched with a familiar mixture of frustration and disbelief. Phil Foden was kicking at a loose piece of tape on the floor, his jaw tight. Jude Bellingham stared blankly at his boots, shoulders slumped.

It wasn't just a loss; it felt like a statement from the universe. A reminder of what 'GOAT' truly meant, and how far he still had to go. Messi hadn't just scored; he'd made a point. A soft touch, a gentle curve, and the game had bent to his will. It was chilling.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. Declan Rice.

"Tough one, lad," Declan said, his voice low. "Bloody tough."

Nathan just nodded, unable to find words. The fans had cheered them, told them to keep their heads high, but the hollow feeling was a deep, unshakeable throb.

The bus ride back to the training camp was eerily quiet. Usually, it buzzed with post-match analysis, jokes, and music. Tonight, only the hum of the engine filled the space. Nathan stared out the window at the blurred city lights, each one a tiny, distant star, mirroring the vastness of the gap he felt between himself and the legends.

Being the GOAT wasn't just about scoring goals. It was about owning the moment, bending reality. Messi did that. Nathan… hadn't. Not yet. But the fire inside him, though dampened by defeat, wasn't extinguished. It just burned with a colder, fiercer resolve.

The next morning, the training ground felt different. The usual banter was muted, replaced by a quiet intensity. Everyone was pushing harder, running further, tackling sharper. Gareth Southgate had given a short, sharp talk – no dramatics, just a clear message: "We lost. We learn. We move on."

Nathan felt it too. Every sprint, every pass, every shot was infused with the memory of that rippling net. During a passing drill, he watched Harry Kane receive a ball with his back to goal, shield it effortlessly, and lay it off perfectly for Bukayo Saka.

A transparent box flickered around Kane in Nathan's vision.

Harry Kane – Ability: S | Potential: B+

He's a complete striker, Nathan mused. Already at the peak of his powers.

Then his gaze shifted to Saka, who controlled the ball with a dancer's grace, weaving through cones.

Bukayo Saka – Ability: A+ | Potential: S

Still so much more to give, Nathan thought, a flicker of admiration. He's going to be unstoppable.

It was a strange gift, seeing these stats. It let him appreciate the mastery of players like Kane and Messi, but also fueled his own ambition. My potential has to be S+, he told himself. It has to be. Because that's where the GOAT lives.

The next match was against Iran. Not an easy opponent. They were known for their disciplined defense and quick counter-attacks. England needed a win, and they needed it convincingly to regain momentum and confidence in the group stage.

The stadium was packed, a sea of red and white. The roar of the crowd, unlike the night before, felt like a desperate plea, a challenge to their team.

The whistle blew. Pheeeeeep!

From the first kick-off, Iran sat deep. Their defense was a brick wall, five men across the back, with midfielders dropping to clog up any space. England tried to thread passes, to find gaps, but it was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

Nathan, playing just behind Harry Kane, found himself constantly double-marked. Every time he received the ball, two or three Iranian players swarmed him. He tried feints, quick turns, but they were organized, disciplined.

Minute 25. Still 0-0. Frustration was starting to simmer among the English players. Foden, usually so lively, was running into dead ends. Bellingham was trying to drive forward from midfield, but found no passing lanes.

We need something different, Nathan thought, as he received the ball near the halfway line, instantly feeling the pressure building. He looked up, trying to find an angle, a sliver of space. Nothing.

Just then, a clear, sharp sound pierced through the stadium's noise, right in his head.

Ding!

[System Notification]

[Your team is facing a rigid defensive setup.]

[You may request one random legendary passing skill in the style of a football icon to unlock a new dimension in attack.]

[Do you wish to activate it?]

Nathan's heart pounded. A legendary passing skill? Now? This was exactly what they needed! Without hesitation, he sent a mental command.

Yes! Activate!

Ding!

[Random Skill Activated: Vision of Xavi]

[Effect: For the next 5 minutes of in-game time, your passing accuracy, decision-making, and ability to spot hidden passing lanes are significantly enhanced. Your passes will find teammates in pockets of space previously unseen.]

A strange calm washed over Nathan. It wasn't a rush of power, but a sudden, crystal-clear understanding. The field, which moments ago had seemed like a tangled mess of bodies, now looked like a complex but solvable puzzle. He saw lines, angles, and pathways that simply hadn't existed before. It was like the stadium lights had just been turned up by a thousand watts.

He saw Jude Bellingham, making a subtle run from deep midfield, drawing a defender with him, then veering slightly to the left, creating a tiny, almost invisible gap between two Iranian defenders. A gap that, a moment ago, Nathan would have completely missed.

Nathan took a quick touch, drawing his immediate marker slightly wide. He lifted his head, feigning a cross-field pass to Luke Shaw. The Iranian defense shifted, ever so slightly, anticipating the wide ball.

Then, with the outside of his right boot, Nathan stroked the ball.

It wasn't a thunderbolt, not a flashy flick. It was a perfectly weighted, gentle curve, a pass born of pure foresight. It bypassed two Iranian midfielders and slotted perfectly into that sliver of space Bellingham had created, right at the edge of the box.

Jude, alerted by the sudden change in rhythm, took it in stride, one touch, a burst of acceleration. The Iranian defenders, still recovering from their shift, were a step behind.

Bellingham drew the keeper out, then coolly slotted it past him, into the bottom corner.

GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAL!!!

The roar of the English fans was deafening, washing over Nathan like a wave. Relief, joy, and a surging sense of belief erupted from the stands.

Jude sprinted to the corner flag, sliding on his knees, arms outstretched. The whole team rushed to celebrate, mobbing him. Nathan watched, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips. The Vision of Xavi. It felt… incredible.

The goal had broken Iran's resolve, and England found more space in the remaining minutes of the first half. They pressed harder, and a brilliant header from Harry Maguire off a Foden corner made it 2-0 before halftime.

The second half was a more relaxed affair, though Iran still put up a fight. Nathan felt the Vision of Xavi fade after the five minutes, but the confidence it had instilled remained. He continued to look for those subtle openings, to think two steps ahead. He wasn't seeing the translucent lines anymore, but the idea of them, the principle, had embedded itself in his mind.

England scored once more, a tap-in from Harry Kane after a brilliant cross from Bukayo Saka, making it 3-0. The final whistle blew, and this time, relief, not despair, filled the English camp.

In the locker room, the mood was light. Jokes were cracked, celebratory slaps on the back were exchanged. Nathan felt a surge of warmth. This was his team, his journey.

He caught Declan Rice's eye. "Good win, eh?"

"Bloody good," Declan grinned. "That pass to Jude… magic, mate. Absolute magic. Where'd that come from?"

Nathan just winked. "Just... saw the space."

Later, as he showered, the system notification popped up again, but this time, it was different.

Ding!

[System Update: Your innate ability, 'Talent Scout,' has been refined.]

[You can now see a cumulative 'Overall Rating' for yourself and other players, alongside their Ability and Potential.]

[Your current Overall Rating: B+]

Nathan stared at the shimmering text. B+? He was still a long way from the top tier, from S. But the fact that he now had a measurable rating, a target to aim for, electrified him.

Overall Rating… He thought back to Messi's "soft touch" goal. What would his Overall Rating be? S+? X?

He grinned, a mix of determination and pure thrill. The path to GOAT was long, but at least now, he had a map.

The next match was against Wales. Another group stage showdown, but this one was different. This wasn't just about qualifying; it was about national pride.