Rise of a Football God-Chapter 451: Injury

For the first game in what felt like forever to FC Barcelona fans, Sam played a game that he did not score or assist. freёweɓnovel.com

But that was not the important point after the heated El Clasico game in Barcelona. The main talking point should have still been Sam, because Rudiger's reckless tackle in the game left Sam injured.

FC Barcelona fans should be clamoring on social media for Rudiger's head in rage. Yes, they did clamor, but not as much as people expected.

This was because of the teenage wonder, Lamine Yamal.

Yesterday was Lamine Yamal's show. The Spanish wonderkid stole the limelight so thoroughly that fans seemingly forgot the fact that Sam actually sustained a facial injury in the game.

Not just the fans either, the media also fanned the flames.

After such a performance from Yamal, scoring the first hattrick of his career, the world of football reeled as they speculated the future performances that would be put out by the youngster.

Football sites like ESPN+, SuperSports, and other major channels fanned the flames, posting news with Lamine Yamal as the poster boy.

In Barcelona and around the world, Lamine Yamal was already a superstar after his 2024/2025 season under Hansi Flick.

And this season? His fame only increased more but now, after the performance yesterday against Real Madrid, outshining everyone else on the pitch, the young baller's fame rose even higher.

Despite the publicity and crazy attention that the game brought to him, Lamine Yamal didn't let it get to his head.

After all, his friend, Sam was injured.

After the game, not just Sam's friends; knowing how important he was to this team and the fact that the UEFA Champions League final was drawing closer each passing day, the full team checked up on Sam's health.

Apparently, while the game was still going on, Sam was rushed to the hospital on an ambulance to check up on his face.

And by the time the game came to an end, the test results were already out.

And finally, the players could heave a sigh of relief.

It was a painful gash in his face but nothing lasting happened. All Sam needed was time for it to heal. Most importantly, it won't affect his performance as a footballer. Sam could still play the next FC Barcelona game if he wanted.

Raphinha grinned, patting the young striker on the head in his hospital bed. "You're one tough bastard, huh?" He said in Spanish.

"Bastardo," Gavi also grinned, playfully punching Sam on the chest. "You didn't die, huh?" He asked in Spanish, making Sam smile broadly.

"It'll take more than that to kill me".

"Says the guy who cried out in pain as if a needle was being driven through his heart," Lamine Yamal chuckled. "Seriously Sam, why did you scream like that? You got me really scared".

Sam calmly inclined his head to look at the Spaniard. "Why did I scream like that huh?"

He squirmed in his bed. "Come, Lamine, have they stomped on your face before?" He edged towards where Lamine sat on his bed.

Lamine looked at him, chuckled nervously, before carefully shifting farther away.

Sam laughed.

Lamine pouted. "You can be so creepy sometimes".

Sam kept on laughing. "It helps you know".

"Huh?"

Sam looked at him. "I mean it. You know, even that Rudiger, he knows the importance of intimidation as a defender that's why he goes to such lengths to create that unapproachable and crazy personality or himself".

"But being crazy, it does not help just defenders, it helps strikers too".

"When you're intimidating, it's easier to penetrate through defenders and score because psychologically, you'd have an advantage already".

The FC Barcelona players wanted to spend some more time with their striker but after the doctor consulted with Hansi Flick, stressing the importance of rest to his striker's health, the German coach intervened immediately.

After letting his players say their goodbyes to Sam, he sent them away before also wishing his striker the best wishes to recover fast.

He was about to leave when Sam stopped him.

"Hey coach".

"Huh?"

Sam hesitated a bit before asking. "Will I play the next game?"

Hansi Flick lingered, looking at him for a few seconds, then he shook his head. "No. You've played a lot of games this season. Even if you weren't injured by Rudiger, I was already contemplating resting you for a game or two".

"So, this is an opportunity".

"But…"

"Don't worry," Hansi Flick smiled. "We can win without you".

Hearing that, Sam also smiled. "Ok".

As soon as the coach left his hospital bed, Sam sneakily picked up his iPhone, an excited look on his face as he dialed a number.

[Outgoing call to Mi Corazon…]

He asked his coach if he would play in the next game for a reason.

Being injured? To other professional football players, it was a crime, an event that could more or less ruin their career if not make them stagnated for a long time.

But for Sam? Injury was just a minor inconvenient because of his system.

His system… it was the one advantage that he had over every other professional football player in the world.

An advantage that was exclusive to him. An advantage that had been inherited by geniuses of previous generations past, and was now inherited by him.

An advantage that even Messi and Ronaldo never had.

This was why instead of taking the sudden injury as a setback, Sam let fate have its way, thinking of it as a blessing instead.

He thought of it as a blessing because it gave him time to rest and recover without the help of the system-given recovery pills.

Though he had the system, Sam still preferred recovering normally.

All those were marginal reasons though; the main reason why it excited Sam to no end was the fact that by getting injured, he finally had the time he needed to spend with his girlfriend and have a mini vacation.

Mi Corazon? That was his girlfriend, no, fiancée.

He could not wait to spend time with Kayla.