The final result of the match held no suspense.
Although Celta Vigo managed to score a late goal in the dying minutes, it was nowhere near enough to change the outcome.
The 2012 calendar year was officially over.
Across the first 17 matches of the 2012-2013 La Liga season, Atlético Madrid had secured 16 victories and a single draw. Their consistency was terrifying.
Following the final whistle, Shane stood up from the bench.
Simultaneously, a massive cluster of reporters had already occupied the mixed zone, their cameras locked onto him. The broadcast lenses immediately converged on his position.
As the undisputed best player of the match, he was obligated to face the media.
However, the questions from the journalists had virtually nothing to do with the game that had just ended. Every single one was about the Ballon d'Or.
"I don't have the information to tell you whether I'll win it," Shane shook his head. "Maybe the odds favor me, maybe they don't. Who actually knows?"
Internally, Shane knew his chances of winning were low. When it came to global reputation, his standing was still noticeably smaller than Messi's or Ronaldo's. Although he had the European Championship and Europa League trophies on his resume, it wasn't enough to completely override the massive legacy reputation that Messi and Ronaldo had built up over years.
But Shane wasn't anxious about it.
For his career, this was only the end of his first full year.
The future held endless opportunities.
During the post-match press conference, Diego Simeone aggressively pushed Shane's case.
"He is absolutely a Ballon d'Or-caliber player. In my opinion, no one in the world deserves it more than him this year."
Naturally, Atlético Madrid was trying to boost Shane's media presence. But compared to the global broadcasting power of Real Madrid and Barcelona, Atlético's reach was simply not enough.
The 2012 season officially ended. La Liga entered its winter break.
During this break, Shane didn't take any vacation. Mainly because the La Liga winter break isn't a long shutdown like the Bundesliga's. The entire pause lasted only two weeks.
With the start of 2013, the winter transfer window opened.
Historically, the winter window rarely sees massive moves. Elite players generally don't transfer mid-season. The most significant deal of this window was made by AC Milan, Atlético's opponent in the upcoming Champions League Round of 16.
Milan paid twenty-three million euros to bring the inconsistent Italian international Mario Balotelli back from Manchester City. They also terminated the contracts of Alexandre Pato and Robinho. On paper, it was a minor upgrade to their attack.
This was something Atlético's analysts needed to track. After all, this was the opponent they would face in the European knockout rounds.
The first match after the winter break was Matchday 18 of La Liga.
Atlético Madrid traveled to face RCD Mallorca.
In this match, Shane didn't score or assist. However, his overall performance remained elite. Atlético secured a 1-0 away victory over Mallorca, maintaining their consistent point accumulation.
It was worth noting that during this same matchday, Barcelona was held to a 1-1 draw against Villarreal.
As a result, Atlético's lead at the top expanded to 5 points.
Following the conclusion of this match, Shane boarded a flight to Zurich, Switzerland.
His destination: the annual FIFA awards gala.
Before his arrival, Jorge Mendes had sent Shane a private message confirming that the Ballon d'Or result had already been decided. Lionel Messi had secured the most votes, taking first place. Shane finished third.
Although the results hadn't been officially announced to the public yet, most insiders had already received the leaked information.
Shane felt no shock at the news. Finishing third in his first year was already a massive achievement.
However, Shane had absolutely no desire to sit there as decoration for Messi's coronation. He genuinely wanted to skip the gala.
But Mendes sent a steady stream of persuasive messages, insisting he attend. Ultimately, they were all part of the same football ecosystem. Showing up and playing the PR game benefited everyone involved.
So Shane reluctantly boarded the flight to Zurich.
Inside the FIFA auditorium, Shane maintained a calculated smile, seamlessly playing his role in the awards gala.
"The winner of the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or is..."
As the host began the announcement, the tension in the room spiked. The broadcast monitors displayed the faces of the three finalists. All three wore highly composed smiles. Countless fans around the world were on the edge of their seats, but the three men on stage already knew the result.
"Lionel... Messi."
As the name was announced, the auditorium erupted in applause.
Messi's smile became genuine.
In the seating area, Shane and Ronaldo applauded. Messi ascended the stage to collect his fourth Golden Ball, completing a four-peat.
Shane glanced at Cristiano Ronaldo, seated directly next to him. The Portuguese star's smile was visibly strained.
"What are you looking at?" Ronaldo suddenly asked.
"Nothing," Shane turned his head back toward the stage.
"Is your brain telling you I should have won this year?" Ronaldo pressed.
"Why wouldn't it tell me that I should have won it?" Shane countered, shaking his head.
"Hmph." Ronaldo turned his head away sharply.
Shane suppressed a small smirk.
This guy. Such a dominant player. Yet his emotional responses were still incredibly childish.
Shane had very little internal resistance to Messi winning. Because the man had scored 92 goals during the calendar year.
Ninety-two goals.
When you put up those kinds of numbers, he was justified in winning.
I'll just take over the system next year.
Messi's fourth Ballon d'Or instantly dominated global headlines.
Many media outlets immediately began debating the legitimacy of Messi's victory. Looking strictly at individual statistics, Messi was flawless. Scoring 92 goals in a year forces everyone to take notice.
But looking at team achievements, he had only won a Copa del Rey. That wasn't enough for total dominance.
Shane Carter's individual numbers were equally impressive, and he had the European Championship on his resume.
Consequently, numerous analysts calculated that Shane's overall score should have exceeded Messi's.
The detailed voting logs were quickly published.
The predictions were validated.
Among journalists, Shane received the most votes, finishing first. However, among national team coaches and captains, Shane's support crashed. In that segment of the vote, his total was actually lower than Xavi's. He ranked fourth.
This revelation generated massive regret across the media.
If the FIFA World Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or had not been merged into a single award, the original, pure Ballon d'Or would have gone to Shane Carter, while Lionel Messi would have merely secured the FIFA World Player of the Year.
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