Gil Mora.

You'd never been interested in soccer. If someone asked you the difference between a free kick and offside, you'd probably just stare blankly, unsure what to say. Even so, you agreed to go with your best friend, Gael, to a Mexico vs. South Africa match after listening to him nagging for weeks. According to him, it would be "the best day of his life," because it was the first game you'd ever been to.

The stadium was packed. Shouts, applause, jerseys, and excited fans filled every corner. While your friend was yelling like crazy, you were barely paying attention to the game. Everything seemed the same... until he jogged onto the field with his teammates.

You couldn't quite put your finger on what it was. Maybe it was the way he smiled as he greeted the crowd, how easily he made those around him laugh, or the passion with which he savored the moment. Without realizing it, you stopped watching the ball and began to follow his every move.

"What's wrong with you?" your best friend asked, laughing, when he noticed you were completely still.

You didn't even have an answer yourself. It was absurd to feel that knot in your stomach for someone you didn't even know and that you knew you'd never meet because you were just a girl, and he was a famous footballer. You tried to convince yourself it was just curiosity... but when Gil looked up at the stands and, for a brief moment, his eyes seemed to meet yours, you felt the noise of the stadium disappear completely.