Part One: Reactions Echo Across Barcelona
The morning after the friendly match, La Masia's internal chat groups were flooded.
Clips of Luca Herrera dancing past defenders like a shadow had gone semi-viral in the youth football scene. His no-look assist, his first goal where he dribbled through two players and chipped the keeper, and that signature elastico-spin move—they were being shared in group chats of aspiring footballers all over Barcelona.
"¿Quién es este chico? He looks like a young Ronaldinho!""That dribble was insane, bro. Ain't no way he's U16.""His balance… his footwork… that's pure samba football."
At La Masia, coaches gathered in the meeting room early. Videos of the friendly played on the screen, and every pause led to discussions. Coach Álvaro, in charge of the youth development program, pointed at the screen.
"He's not just playing… he's performing. Look at this—this is rhythm, not mechanics."
Beside him was a scout from Barcelona B, Jordi Medina, who had attended the match in person.
Jordi rewound the play where Luca spun past two defenders and assisted. "I haven't seen a player at this level pull off something like this with that kind of confidence in a long time."
Coach Álvaro nodded. "And he didn't flinch when the pressure rose. He played like the game was his playground."
Jordi smiled. "I'm going to keep an eye on him. This kid… he's different."
Part Two: The Streets Remember
That afternoon, Luca didn't go to his usual training ground.
He put on his black hoodie, pulled the drawstrings tight, and grabbed his worn-out boots. There was a small turf pitch in their neighborhood, the kind with half-broken fences and graffiti sprayed on the walls. It wasn't pretty—but it was home.
A few local kids were playing, and when Luca showed up, they stopped. Word had already reached the area.
"¡Oye Luca! You were on fire yesterday!""You gotta show us those moves, man!"
Luca smiled shyly, still getting used to the attention. "You wanna see the real thing?"
He tied his boots tighter, rolled the ball to the middle of the pitch, and turned his system on.
[SYSTEM ACTIVE]RONALDINHO TEMPLATE — SIGNATURE ANIMATION READYDribbling +15 | Vision +10 | Technique +12 | Shooting +8
Luca let the ball roll at his feet and started juggling. The street kids circled him. Then—he flowed.
One flick, and the ball leapt over an imaginary opponent.An elastico, then a spin, then a flick through someone's legs.A no-look rainbow flick, just because he could.Luca laughed. Not because he was showing off. But because it was fun.
He felt like he wasn't just playing football—he was telling a story with his feet.
Nearby, an old man watching from a bench muttered, "That boy's got magic in his boots…"
By the end of the evening, every kid on that pitch was trying to copy him. But no one could quite do it like Luca.