Rise of a Football God-Chapter 454: The end is nigh [2]

18th May, 2026…

It was Matchday 37, and the atmosphere at the Spotify Camp Nou was nothing short of electric.

The air pulsed with tension and anticipation from the moment dawn broke over Barcelona. Streets near the stadium were flooded with a tide of Blaugrana; flags, scarves, and jerseys everywhere.

Fans gathered in cafes and plazas, their conversations dominated by lineup predictions, title hopes, and dreams of glory.

After the win against Real Madrid, this season's La Liga winner was set in stone. But it was not until the win against Espanyol that they truly clinched the title, leaving their archrivals in the dust in second place.

But they could not celebrate their title win in Espanyol; that was why they waited till today. And that was why today was so different, special and important to the FC Barcelona fans.

As kickoff approached, the atmosphere thickened with emotion. Hours before the match, supporters swarmed the stadium gates. Children painted their faces, elders recounted past triumphs, and die-hard fans clutched banners bearing club legends and chants that echoed decades of dominance.

The cules came in waves, a mosaic of faith and passion. The club megastore was stripped clean; every shirt with the number 10, 8, and 19 sold out by midday.

No. 10 was Samuel Moses, No. 8 was Pedri, while No. 19 was Lamine Yamal.

Inside the Camp Nou, the stage was set like a gladiatorial arena. Giant flags rippled across the stands, tifos were unfurled, and the roar of 90,000 voices created a symphony of defiance and belief.

The chants didn't stop for a second.

"Visca el Barca!" They chanted repeatedly like a war drum.

The weight of legacy was everywhere; Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Ronaldinho, ghosts of past glories hovering in the chants.

Every pass, every touch in the warm-up drew an eruption from the crowd. Fans wept, fans laughed, fans prayed.

Everyone understood; history was waiting.

They may have already won it, but still, no one came to see their team draw or lose on their celebratory night. Rather, they came to conquer.

For this game, Hansi Flick gave his big players freedom to express themselves on the pitch, fielding all his best players in the regular 4-2-3-1 formation.

Ter Stegen started in between the posts, and ahead of him in defense was the quadruple of Alejandro Balde, Inigo Martinez, Pau Cubarsi, and Jules Kounde. In midfield was the regular midfield duo of Pedri and Frankie De Jong.

Gavi was in attacking midfield, while on either side of him, in the right was Lamine Yamal while on the left was Raphinha.

Sam led the line as the striker.

For Villareal, L. Junior started in between the posts for the visitors, while their defensive quadruple comprised Femenia, Foyth, Costa, and Cardona in defense. They played in a 4-4-2 formation and their midfield quadruple comprised Nicolas Pepe, Comesana, Parejo, and Gueye.

Their attacking duo comprised Barry and Perez.

FWEEE!

It was a formidable Villareal lineup, but up against that FC Barcelona lineup? They were going up against a giant, a relentless, ruthless and unstoppable giant.

As soon as the game started, FC Barcelona took control.

They ran rampant, dribbling, passing, penetrating through Villareal like a hot knife through butter as the Catalans dominated at home.

They played with flair, energy, and freedom. Most importantly, they played with the joy and excitement of winning the La Liga title.

FC Barcelona struck as early as the 8th minute.

Alejandro Balde started it, bombing down the left side of the pitch with the ball before passing to Sam who slipped it to Lamine Yamal who hit it one-time, sending it back across in a cross towards a suddenly unmarked Balde.

Bam!

Balde rifled it past the goalkeeper and into the net.

The Spotify Camp Nou erupted, celebrating the first goal of the game.

Just 4 minutes later, in the 12 minute of the game, FC Barcelona doubled their lead, this time it was Raphinha bombing into the 18-yard box with speed and flair before poking the ball past Villareal's goalkeeper.

12 minutes, 2-0…

Just 3 minutes later, in the 15th minute, Lamine Yamal scored the third FC Barcelona goal, weaving through 3 players from the right side of the pitch before curling a stunner past L. Junior and into the net.

Yamal whirled off in celebration before a jubilant Camp Nou.

10 minutes later, Villareal's defense managed to hold, giving their offensive units chances in attack but in the 27th minute, one lightning-fast counterattack broke them down the 4th time this first half.

This time, it was Sam.

Pedri won back the ball and spotted the run immediately, lobbing it over the defense for Sam who overtook all the lumbering men in defense.

He took the ball in his strides and as the goalkeeper charged out to meet him, he chipped the ball above him, scoring a cheeky goal.

Sam celebrated with the calma celebration.

In the 42nd minute, he doubled his tally from the air, powering a header past Junior and into the net from a Lamine Yamal cross.

The first half came to an end 5-0 in FC Barcelona's favor.

This first half, FC Barcelona didn't just win against Villarreal, they humbled team, teaching them an unforgettable lesson in football.

In second half, they reduced the intensity, enjoying themselves, every capable player dribbling through Villarreal players for fun.

But even at that, they still scored.

Sam got his hattrick, receiving the ball from Raphinha outside the 18-yard box, shuffling his feet a bit before rifling as shot into the top bin.

68 minutes, 6-0…

And yet, that was not all.

In the 75th minute, Jules Kounde joined the feast, smashing a stunner from outside the box into the net with stunning power.

75 minutes, 7-0…

It was over. It was a humbling defeat.

Villarreal didn't even get a consolation goal. They became the foil with which FC Barcelona enjoyed and started their La Liga title celebrations.

By the time the final whistle blew, the Spotify Camp Nou was already boiling with endless energy and passion, then…

FWEEE!

The game came to an end.