"Let me say this again. Up to this point in my life, I have never seen a performance this spectacular."
"Both teams were outstanding throughout the first half of the World Cup final."
"But you have to admit, Lin was absolutely the one who stood out the most. He turned the stage of the World Cup final into his own personal show."
"France produced a brilliant Counterattack, Griezmann broke through, a beautiful team move, and then Lin scored."
"France produced another brilliant Counterattack, a beautiful headed combination to score, and then Lin scored again."
"What are you supposed to do about that?"
"There's simply nothing you can do."
"Spain trust Lin so much. They are using him completely as the core of their midfield and attack."
"Every player is giving everything around Lin. I haven't seen a team this united in a very long time."
The match had just entered halftime. After a first half in which the two sides scored five goals between them, the break felt more like a chance for every fan watching the World Cup final to catch their breath.
Just watching this final had already left countless fans so tense they could barely think, and countless commentators completely drawn in. Casillas, in particular, had been utterly absorbed throughout the first half.
Gerrard, Gullit, Torres, Henry, Zidane, and the others all had to admit that this truly was a top-level World Cup final.
Whether in terms of tactics, individual performances, or goals, both sides had produced something exceptional.
"The first-half statistics are as follows. In terms of possession, Spain had 60%, while France had 40%."
"As for shots, France had six attempts, three on target, and scored two goals. That is a terrifying conversion rate. But Spain also had six shots, four on target, and scored three goals. Their conversion rate is just as frightening."
"The players on both sides have performed extremely well. From goalkeeper to Forward, everyone has done their job."
"Deschamps's Counterattack tactics have fully brought out the strengths of every France player. There has been nothing wrong with the way they have played."
"So far, no one on the French team has made any real mistake, and the French coaching staff's tactical setup has also been absolutely top class."
"But after Spain scored through their excellent opening tactic, the whole team got into the match more quickly and adapted faster to the rhythm of the World Cup final."
"They handled the pressure very well. That is why they are leading France three-two."
As a legendary French Forward, Henry knew exactly what it felt like to score at the World Cup.
But scoring a hat-trick in one half of a World Cup final was something no Forward would even dare to imagine.
It was something even the very best stars could hardly achieve. Yet at this very moment, Leo Lin had done it so cleanly, placing the fact right in front of everyone.
...
ESPN.
"At halftime, the highest-rated player from either side is Leo Lin."
Derek Rae was also discussing Leo Lin's first-half statistics with the fans.
"The last player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final was all the way back in 1966, when England faced West Germany in the final and Geoff Hurst scored three goals for England."
"In the end, he helped his team win four-two after extra time and lift the only World Cup trophy in England's history."
"Since then, no player has ever scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final. A first-half hat-trick is even more unprecedented."
"Leo Lin has already made history. No matter how this match ultimately ends, Leo Lin's first-half hat-trick, a miracle like a god descending onto the pitch, will surely be remembered by later generations and remain forever in the long history of soccer."
"This match has truly become a landmark masterpiece in Leo Lin's career!"
Across every live broadcast around the world, every commentator and every fan was frantically discussing Leo Lin's first-half hat-trick.
"Some people may still not understand the weight of scoring a first-half hat-trick in a World Cup final. From today on, even a stray dog by the road may never have watched a soccer match, but if you ask it who Leo Lin is, it'll wag its tail at you."
"Put it this way. From today on, people around the world who don't understand soccer may still not know who Modrić is. They may not know who De Bruyne is either. But if you say the name Leo Lin, they'll definitely say, oh, I know him. He's that young player who scored a first-half hat-trick in the World Cup final!"
"I hereby declare that from today onward, every Lin in European sports shall collectively be known as Leo Lin!"
Sky Sports and several other media outlets did not even wait for the match to end. During halftime, they published front-page headlines, combining photos of Leo Lin's three first-half hat-trick celebrations into one image and posting it prominently across social media.
The top ten trending topics in countries all over the world were completely occupied by news of the World Cup final.
And Leo Lin took up half of them.
The top twenty trending topics on Europe's hottest short-video platform were all related to the World Cup final.
"France and Spain Smash Five Goals in One Half! The Most Exciting Final in World Cup History Is Underway!"
"Brilliant Genius Lin Descends Like a God! First-Half Hat-Trick!"
"Goal Fest! Ultimate Showdown on Earth!"
"World Cup Final in Russia Breaks 1.5 Billion Global Live Viewers!"
...
The number of people watching this World Cup final was still rising sharply, because this final was simply too exciting.
People had never imagined a goal fest could be linked to a World Cup final. After all, in World Cup history, even including extra time, there had been very few finals in which the two teams combined for five or more goals. You could count them on one hand.
The outside world was in a frenzy over this World Cup final, while inside both dressing rooms, the atmosphere was subtle.
There was tension, excitement, anticipation, and also a trace of worry.
There were about five minutes left before the second half began.
Raúl was sitting beside Leo Lin, massaging his thigh muscles.
"You played very well in the first half. There were no problems."
"In the second half, we'll continue with the tactic that combines forward-and-reverse triangle rotations with the wide Attacking Midfielder rotation."
Hierro stood in the middle of the dressing room with the tactical board pulled out, drawing attacking routes one after another to help the players clear their minds.
"In the second half, we need to play with more clarity and more decisiveness!"
"If Thiago carries the ball forward, we use the forward-and-reverse triangle rotation and attack their two half-spaces, the channels beside the center."
"If Lin carries the ball forward, we use the wide Attacking Midfielder rotation and the withdrawn Attacking Midfielder tactic."
"And our attacking direction shifts into a combination of one half-space and one outside flank."
"Remember, especially when we use the second tactic, our job is to first pull wide and break through down one flank, drawing their defensive attention, then quickly switch possession toward the opposite half-space."
"But this is not a simple draw-and-switch."
"When we switch toward the opposite half-space, all midfielders must push up. Our positioning must have layers. We need to create a tide-like attack, wave after wave, pushing forward!"
Hierro was speaking a little quickly. He was trying hard to calm himself and slow down.
"Lads, there are still 45 minutes left!"
"We should all think back to Lin's performance in the first half."
"That was a complete genius performance, but I know every one of you has potential close to that!"
"Because you are among the 46 best players in the world, and you have the chance to become the best 23 in the world!"
Xavi stared at every single person in the dressing room.
"I'm not only talking about the starting eleven on the pitch. I'm talking about every player sitting on the bench as well."
"Every single one of you, from the group stage until now, has given this team incredibly important energy!"
"So all of you, whether you're on the pitch right now or on the bench, I need you ready."
"You could be called on at any moment, and then you'll have to contribute to the team!"
The five members of the coaching staff gathered all the players together.
At that moment, inside the Spain dressing room, dozens of red stars came together, truly twisting into a single rope.
"Spain!!!"
"Everything!!!"
"For soccer!!!"