Chapter 625: The Highest Stage of Football

The World Cup final with France was held on the evening of July 15. This game attracted much attention, and both France and Portugal paid great attention to it. Many big figures appeared in the stands, including the leader of the host Russia.

The Luzhniki Stadium, which can accommodate 80,000 spectators, was also completely full. In addition to a large number of fans from the host Russia, there were also many fans from Portugal and France.

The Portuguese media began to hype the final with France from the end of the semi-finals. After all, Portugal is about to usher in a historic moment.

The French media was not idle either. "Revenge" was their keyword. Just two years ago in the European Cup final, Portugal defeated France 3:1, making France miss the chance to become the team with the most European Cup titles, tied with Germany and Spain.

In this noisy external environment, the Portuguese national team was focused on preparing for the game.

Santos is now under little pressure. Except for the people inside the team, no one knows that they regard the championship as their ultimate goal. The Portuguese Football Association once set a goal of reaching the semi-finals for Portugal's World Cup in Russia. Today, the Portuguese national team has already exceeded the goal, so for the outside news media and leaders, even if the Portuguese national team loses the final, Santos's position as coach will not be a problem.

Santos can accept any result of this last game.

Of course, if he can beat France again and win the World Cup, it will undoubtedly be the most perfect result!

After all, this is the highest event in world football. Who doesn't want to hold the World Cup?

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Every football player has a complex about winning the World Cup, and so does Santos. He never played in the World Cup when he was a player. Now as the head coach of the Portuguese national team, he hopes to lead the team to win the highest honor in football and make up for this regret in his heart.

Now it seems that he has a great opportunity because he has two superstars, Bruno and Ronaldo. After the test of major competitions in recent years, the Portuguese national team with Ronaldo and Bruno as the core can exert very strong strength, far exceeding the limit that this team should have.

Previously, European media described Bruno like this: "Some players need the cooperation of the whole team to perform well; some players seem unknown, but they can make their teammates perform well; some players can not only perform well themselves, but also drive their teammates to perform well. Bruno belongs to the third type."

Yes, this World Cup has proved this point very well.

Bruno not only performed well himself, but also made the Portuguese national team perform at a very high level, defeating strong opponents and finally entering the finals.

Santos hopes to use the World Cup as a foundation to establish the status of Portuguese football as a giant in the world football.

Although Portuguese football has always been regarded as a strong team in the world football and an important force in the world football, it is still far from the giants.

With Portugal's upset victory in the European Cup two years ago, Portugal has already possessed a certain foundation of a giant. If it wins the World Cup again today, the status of Portuguese football as a giant will be completely determined.

Such a temptation is something that no Portuguese football player can refuse.

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The coach always has to think longer-term than the players.

Bruno didn't think about such long-term things, partly because his soul came from the East, and he hadn't completely considered himself as a Portuguese. Even when he played for Portugal in the national team, he felt very awkward every time he heard the Portuguese national anthem.

Bruno knew very well that it was impossible to wear a jersey and hear the haunting song in his life.

He just wanted to play well in the World Cup final in front of him.

He had to win his last game in this World Cup.

At this moment, he was standing in the player's tunnel, at the end of his team, with his teammates in front of him and the enemy next to him.

Looking at Griezmann, the top star of the French team standing next to him, and listening to the cheers of the fans of the two teams outside. Bruno clenched his fists, full of fighting spirit.

This is the highest honor in football, and Bruno doesn't want to go home empty-handed.

He has to win the championship in every final he has participated in. This is "Bruno's Law", and he hopes to continue this time.

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The stadium outside was very noisy, but it was very quiet in the passage. Whether it was the Portuguese national team or the French team, everyone entered the game state, standing in the passage, looking at the stadium outside the passage, without saying a word.

Maybe they were looking forward to the game in a while.

Bruno could have exchanged a few words with Griezmann. They both spoke English, so communication was not a problem. But after the two met and greeted each other, there was no other words.

The national team's game is different from the club team's game. This is a game related to national honor. What's more, the Portuguese national team and the French team are considered mortal enemies? So there is no intimate pre-match greeting.

Both sides regard each other as enemies, and they can't wait to eat their flesh and their blood.

The referees walked out of the lounge, walked straight to the front of the team, and then said to the two captains, Ronaldo and Lori: "Follow me."

The two captains turned back and shouted to their teammates: "It's time to play! Follow me!"

The other players also shouted excitedly.

For a while, French and Portuguese were heard one after another.

The corridor, which was a little quiet just now, became lively. In such a warm atmosphere, the players from both sides walked out of the corridor and entered the stadium.

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The noise in the stands suddenly increased and reached a peak.

When Bruno was holding the little player in his hand and following the team out, he heard a huge cheer from outside. This was the fans of both sides welcoming their teams to enter the stadium.

Although this is the fourth time that Portugal has played in this stadium during this World Cup, it is definitely the team that has played the most games in this stadium among the top 32, but today, everyone feels different.

Bruno let go of the little player's hand, trotted a few steps, and jumped onto the steps. The huge stands and the green stadium appeared in front of him, and his eyes suddenly opened up.

But what attracts people more is not these, but the World Cup on a platform placed in the middle line. The golden cup can reflect the surrounding media, the green stadium, the full stands, and of course the players of the two teams participating in the final.

Every Portuguese player who passes by the championship trophy can't help but take a look at this glittering trophy. Ronaldo even reached out to touch the trophy, and then he turned back and smiled happily at Bruno.

Bruno didn't touch the trophy. He planned to wait until the end of the game to touch, touch, and hold it openly to experience the touch of it in his hands, whether it was cold or hot.

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The little players around him kept looking at him, obviously curious about this Portuguese.

Bruno felt the curious gaze of the Russian boy, and he lowered his head and smiled at him.

The players of the two teams led their own little players to the designated positions on both sides of the World Cup, and stood in a row for the media to rush up to take pictures and shoot.

In front of them, the World Cup was very eye-catching and eye-catching.

Everyone looked at it with a little greed in their eyes, as if they were looking at a beautiful woman who had taken off her clothes and was posing in all kinds of seductive postures in front of them.

This was the goal they had been fighting for for four years. In order to get close to her, they had to fight for at least another ninety minutes.

A lot of things would happen in these ninety minutes, and there would be only one winner in the end. For this trophy, any price could be paid!

Bruno clenched his fists, and when he heard a low groan from the side, he realized that he was still holding the boy's hand... It seemed that he had hurt him.

He lowered his head and apologized to the little player whose name he didn't even know, a little embarrassed: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I was distracted..."

The boy saw that Bruno took the initiative to talk to him, and he became bolder. He asked: "Can you be distracted in the final?"

Bruno did not answer his question, but smiled and turned his attention back to the trophy.

It was because it was the final that he was distracted like this.

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Bruno looked at the three rows of cameras in front of him, some were kneeling and some were standing on chairs. The flashes were coming one after another, which really made people feel a little overwhelmed.

Since playing for Novara in Serie B for six seasons, this was the first time he encountered such a scene. Even when he represented Udinese and Manchester United in the Champions League finals, there were not so many reporters. Sure enough, the World Cup final is different.

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

Standing next to him was Bernardo Silva, with a serious face. Captain Ronaldo was on the other side of the team, expressionless.

At this time, the stadium broadcast sounded "Play the national anthem", and the first to play was the national anthem of today's visiting team, France.

The stands, which were noisy before, suddenly became quiet, and soon the majestic "Marseille March" sounded.

After the French national anthem ended, it was the turn to sing the Portuguese national anthem "Portuguese", but Bruno couldn't sing it, but several Portuguese teammates around him sang loudly along with the music.

Bruno kept his mouth shut and waited quietly for the national anthem to finish.

After the national anthem, Ronaldo led the Portuguese players to shake hands with the referee and French players.