Chapter 94: The coronation in Riyadh
The King Fahd Stadium still shook long after the final whistle.
And again, for the second consecutive season since Sam’s signing at the Spotify Camp Nou, FC Barcelona were crowned champions of the Supercopa de Espana over archrivals, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
Atletico Madrid were this close to holding on for 90 minutes, to pushing Barcelona to the deep end where they thrived.
And yet, despite the fearsome wall that the red and white of Atleti formed in Riyadh to shut down Barcelona’s electric attack, a single man unrivaled it when it mattered most to Barca fans and in one of the worst moments for Atleti fans... Samuel Moses.
"Remember the name, Samuel Moses!" The commentator roared in a shrill voice. "They’ve been saying this for years already, but pardon me one last time!"
"This is not just a generational talent we’re talking of, this is a man that is going to go down in history as one of the greatest in the history of the sport, if not the outright greatest".
"He’s just 21 but he plays like a General on a battlefield".
"Barcelona, ah... what a lucky club".
"First it was Lionel Messi, now it is Samuel Moses; the great legacy continues for the red and blue Catalan giants".
"It is over, but none of us will ever forget tonight".
"None of us will forget the night when Samuel Moses singlehandedly sent a dagger through the hearts of millions of Atleti fans around the world".
"This is not just a dagger towards Atleti, it is also a dagger towards Real Madrid because most Madrid fans would have preferred Atleti winning the cup than Barcelona winning it for a second consecutive year".
"What... a game".
The stadium shook.
Fireworks cracked across the Riyadh sky, echoing like cannon fire. Blue and garnet flags unfurled across the stands, drowning out the stunned red-and-white silence of Atlético Madrid’s supporters.
At midfield, Samuel Moses stood still.
His teammates mobbed him, tugged his shirt, and screamed into his ears, yet he remained motionless for a moment... arms spread, chest heaving, eyes closed.
The echo of the wondergoal still pulsed in his veins like a second heartbeat.
Tonight, he hadn’t just scored. He had transcended.
The ceremony began quickly after the game as Saudi dignitaries and La Liga officials assembled on the podium. The silver Supercopa trophy glittered under the floodlights, handles gleaming like a prize from Olympus itself.
Barcelona players filed up one by one, medals draped around their necks.
Yamal kissed his medal and waved at the crowd. Pedri lifted his medal with two fingers, smiling. As for Raphinha, he thumped his chest, screaming into the camera lens. "Visca Barça!"
And then, at the end, Samuel Moses, draped in the captain’s armband, walked forward. Just for this moment, Araujo gave Sam the armband to lift the trophy when it mattered.
Seeing him with the captain’s armband, the stadium roared his name as cameras flashed like lightning storms.
He accepted his medal, then placed both hands on the silver trophy. The weight pressed into his palms; not heavy, no, alive.
He grinned.
Oblak, Lenglet, and the rest of Atlético’s squad watched from afar, devastation painted across their faces. Simeone clapped bitterly, jaw tight, his fortress undone by one stroke of genius.
"What a monster," Simeone cursed bitterly.
Sam turned, holding the Supercopa high. His teammates gathered around him, arms slung over shoulders, anticipation surging like a wave.
He closed his eyes and inhaled as legacy flowed through his head. ’For Abraka... for Enyimba... for Fulham... for Barça... and for Nigeria’.
Then...
He raised it.
BOOM!
The stadium erupted.
Fireworks split the sky, golden showers of sparks raining above the podium. The sound was primal as fans cried, chanted, and roared.
"¡CAMPEONES! ¡CAMPEONES!" They screamed.
Yamal leapt onto Sam’s back, draping the Nigerian flag around his shoulders. Pedri and Gavi locked arms around him, shouting like madmen. Raphinha grabbed the trophy for a moment, kissed it, and pressed it back into Sam’s chest.
For all the stars Barça had, this was his moment.
On the stadium screens, the announcement came.
["Supercopa de Espana Final – Man of the Match: Samuel Moses"]
The crowd roared again.
Sam chuckled, shaking his head. He had been fouled, blocked, suffocated all night. And yet, when the world needed him, he had answered.
’Ah... what satisfaction’. He smiled unabashedly.
The party soon spilled across Riyadh.
In the stands, Barça fans sang until their throats tore. On the pitch, players posed with the trophy, selfies and photos flashing.
Lewandowski wrapped an arm around Sam. "I’ve seen big goals, brother," he said, eyes wide. "But that... that was not human."
Sam grinned. "Sometimes you’ve got to remind them why they call you God."
Hansi Flick shook his hand, firm and direct. "You make my job easier," he said softly. Then, leaning closer, he grinned mischievously. "But remember, this is just the beginning."
Sam grinned back.
Kayla was escorted down onto the pitch, weaving through security until she found him. And immediately after she did, she threw herself into his arms, the Supercopa still clutched in his hands.
Cameras captured the embrace, her whisper audible only to him. "I told you, you’re unstoppable."
And then, the world reactions followed.
The players left that same night to Spain but even before the plane got back to Spain, headlines were already screaming across the globe.
["SAMUEL MOSES, FOOTBALL GOD: THE GOAL THAT WILL LIVE FOREVER."] – Marca.
["MESSI AT GETAFE. MARADONA IN ’86. SAM IN RIYADH."] – L’Equipe.
["OBLAK BEATEN BY DIVINITY."] – The Guardian.
["NIGERIA CELEBRATES ITS KING."] – Punch Nigeria.
Clips of the wondergoal flooded every corner of social media.
Edits with anime soundtracks were made, freeze-frames with manga-style speed lines appeared in thousands, memes dubbing him "Abraka’s Angel."
Cristiano Ronaldo tweeted. ["I said let’s see if he can score at the Bernabéu. Tonight, he didn’t just score, he destroyed a defense. Bravo, Samuel Moses."]
Lionel Messi also posted an Instagram story of Sam lifting the Supercopa with the caption. ["Disfruta, crack. This is just the start."]
...
Before entering the plane...
Later that night, as the celebrations wound down, Sam sat alone on the team bus, Supercopa medal around his neck, the trophy resting in the aisle.
He replayed the moment again and again in his head... the rainbow, the elastico, the roulette, the croqueta, the chip.
He smiled.
From Abraka’s dust to Riyadh’s glory... from barefoot dreams to world headlines...
Kayla leaned her head on his shoulder, whispering softly. "So... what’s next?"
Sam looked at her, eyes burning even through exhaustion.
"Next?" He chuckled. "The season isn’t done," he grinned.
"We keep going, until there’s nothing left to take."
The bus roared forward into the Riyadh night, champions bound for their next battle.