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May 31st, 2020.

Manchester United departed for Lisbon.

The flight south carried a squad that had already won the Premier League and FA Cup but remained almost entirely focused on the final trophy.

As the plane descended toward Portugal, Lisbon gradually appeared beneath them, spreading along the Tagus estuary with its dense roofs and buildings climbing across the hills.

The Portuguese capital sat near the Atlantic and had been shaped repeatedly by its relationship with the sea.

Much of the historic center had been rebuilt following the devastating earthquake of 1755, leaving behind the distinctive street patterns visible from above.

Ling looked through the window as the aircraft continued descending.

The closer they came, the easier it became to distinguish the red-tiled roofs and colorful facades covering the slopes.

Maguire leaned across the aisle.

"This actually looks like somewhere worth coming back to on holiday."

Ling nodded.

"Definitely."

The aircraft landed, and the players were greeted by a sizeable crowd outside the airport.

Mourinho remained enormously popular in his home country.

His Champions League victory with Porto had permanently secured his place in Portuguese football history, regardless of how many clubs he managed afterward.

Ling's reception was more mixed.

Some Portuguese supporters still naturally associated Cristiano Ronaldo with the country's football identity, and Ling had just eliminated Juventus while surpassing Cristiano's Champions League scoring record.

There were still plenty of cheers.

Ling had no problem with either reaction.

He smiled, waved toward the crowd, and followed his teammates onto the bus.

The journey toward their hotel provided a clearer view of Lisbon.

Red roofs covered the hills in every direction, interrupted by pale stone buildings and narrow streets, while the broad Tagus opened toward the Atlantic beyond the city.

Before reaching the hotel, the bus passed close enough to the Estádio da Luz for the players to see it clearly.

The Stadium of Light.

Their destination.

The venue already carried its own Champions League history.

Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid had played the 2014 final there, producing the famous stoppage-time equalizer from Sergio Ramos before Real took control in extra time.

Ling looked toward the stadium until it disappeared from view.

In a few days, another final would be written there.

United and PSG were kept in separate hotels and followed different schedules, minimizing unnecessary contact during the final preparations.

For Manchester United, the next three days were devoted to acclimatization, recovery, tactical work, and controlling the growing anticipation around the squad.

By the evening of June 2nd, Lisbon had become increasingly crowded with supporters.

Red Manchester United shirts mixed throughout the city with PSG's blue.

Media crews filled the areas around the stadium.

Every discussion seemed to return to the same questions.

Could PSG win their first Champions League?

Could Neymar and Mbappé stop United's run?

Could Ling reach twenty goals in the competition?

And, above everything else, could Manchester United become the first club of the Champions League era to win the trophy three seasons in succession?

The waiting was almost over.

The 2019–20 Champions League final was about to begin!

...

June 2nd, 2020.

Estádio da Luz, Lisbon.

The Portuguese capital had been filling with supporters throughout the day, and by the evening the roads around the stadium were packed.

Manchester United shirts were especially prominent, reflecting how dramatically the club's global following had grown during its latest period of success.

United had always been one of football's largest commercial institutions, and the club's marketing department had made full use of three seasons filled with trophies and high-profile performances.

Ling's rise had only accelerated that growth.

As kickoff approached, former players, managers, and other prominent figures began arriving beneath a constant barrage of camera flashes.

Arsène Wenger had barely reached the entrance before reporters surrounded him.

"Arsène, what did you make of Arsenal's defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup final?"

"Do you still follow what's happening at Arsenal?"

"Who do you think wins tonight?"

Wenger ignored the first two questions with an experienced smile and answered the third.

"If we judge only by recent performances and experience in these situations, Manchester United should probably be considered favorites. But a final is one match, and football does not always follow expectations."

He glanced toward the stadium.

"Paris have enough quality to win. Manchester United themselves showed two years ago against Real Madrid that a team can overcome a situation everyone else considers unlikely."

Wenger also admitted that his French background gave him a natural reason to hope PSG succeeded.

"French football has produced extraordinary players for many years, but Marseille remain the only French club to have won the European Cup. Paris reaching this stage is important for French football."

"In terms of individual quality, I don't think PSG need to fear Manchester United. Their biggest disadvantage is experience. United have been here repeatedly. Paris have never played a Champions League final."

Another reporter asked about the increasingly common comparison between Mbappé and Ling.

Wenger considered his answer.

"Ling is currently the best player in the world. He won the Ballon d'Or because his performances justified it."

"Kylian is also an exceptional player and still improving, but at this moment there is a difference between them. That doesn't mean Paris cannot win. Football is not an individual sport, no matter how good the individual becomes."

Wenger had seen enough of Ling during his final years at Arsenal to understand the problem.

His departure from the club had come after an increasingly difficult period filled with supporter unrest and disappointing results, and United had been one of several opponents to expose how far Arsenal had fallen behind the strongest teams.

Time had made those memories easier to view from a distance.

Tonight, fortunately, they were somebody else's problem.

...

At PSG's pre-match press conference, Thomas Tuchel was asked how he intended to stop United.

"Tactics alone are never enough in a final," he said. "You need preparation, concentration, personality, and sometimes a little luck."

"The players need to understand our ideas, but they also need freedom. If I give them an exact instruction for every situation, then the moment Manchester United do something unexpected, the plan becomes useless."

Tuchel still had his injured foot protected and occasionally adjusted his position while speaking.

Asked specifically about Ling, he did not try to minimize the threat.

"He is an extraordinary player. The most impressive thing is not only his current level but how quickly he reached it. He accepted the pressure of Manchester United's No. 7 shirt, then kept adding more responsibility without allowing it to reduce his performance."

"We know he can decide a match individually, so of course we have prepared ways to limit him."

Tuchel remained confident.

PSG had already survived Bayern in the semifinal.

Reaching the final proved that they belonged at this level, and the fact that most observers considered United favorites could even work in Paris's favor.

United carried the expectation of defending two consecutive Champions League titles.

PSG were chasing their first.

The pressure was different.

...

Mourinho faced the media in another room.

"I have been in Champions League finals before, and I always give the same answer," he said.

"Before kickoff, both teams have a chance."

"People might think that is boring, but it is important. We cannot lower our standard because Paris have never played this final before."

"We prepare as though they are the strongest opponent we could possibly face, because with Neymar, Mbappé, Di María, Verratti and the rest of their squad, they are capable of punishing any lack of concentration."

A reporter from The Guardian, who had covered Mourinho for years, reminded him of the personality he had displayed when first becoming one of Europe's most famous managers.

"When I first interviewed you fifteen years ago, you had much less gray hair and considerably more arrogance. You called yourself the Special One. Do you think becoming more humble has taken away something that made you successful?"

Mourinho laughed immediately.

"You again."

The reporter smiled.

"You are everywhere. Before matches, after matches, freezing tunnels in England... everywhere."

Mourinho shook his head.

"But you are wrong about one thing. I was always humble."

The room laughed.

"I simply had my own definition of humble."

His competitive confidence had never disappeared.

He had merely learned to express it differently.

...

Inside United's dressing room, Ling stood before his teammates.

He did not attempt an elaborate speech.

"After tonight, the trophy will either be ours or it won't."

He looked around the room.

"We've already won the Premier League and FA Cup. That's finished. None of it helps us for the next ninety minutes."

"If we lose tonight, we don't get to say we nearly made history. We don't get to touch the trophy because we were good enough last year."

"So whatever reason brought you here, remember it."

Ling glanced toward Maguire.

"Harry grew up in Sheffield and had to convince people around him that football could become more than a hobby."

Then toward McTominay.

"Scott spent years wondering whether he would even become a regular first-team player, and he still trained like he was fighting for his career every day."

Ling gestured around the room.

"Everyone here came from somewhere different. Different countries, different families, different cultures. Some of us came through this academy, others arrived for huge transfer fees, and some were told at different points that they wouldn't reach this level."

"But football put us in the same dressing room."

That was the point he wanted them to understand.

United's squad had been assembled from completely different paths, yet for the next ninety minutes all of those individual ambitions led toward the same thing.

Ling extended his hand into the middle.

"So let's finish it together."

Maguire placed his hand on top.

Then McTominay.

Bruno.

Kanté.

Mahrez.

The rest followed.

"Manchester United!"

Their voices filled the room.

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