Chapter 782: Truce! Wang Shuo Won! Wang Shuo, Come Claim Your Golden Ball Award! Who Isn't a Master of Sarcasm?

Shen Qinghe was also there to accompany him. As soon as both sides sat down, David Dunn made his intentions clear. FIFA had approached him, hoping he would step forward to act as a mediator.

“Wang, I have to say that given the current predicament FIFA and Blatter are in, this is the greatest concession he can make. He cannot apologize, nor can he withstand the fallout that an apology would bring.

“If you continue to hold your ground, they would rather leave the award vacant. It would become a landmark scandal in the history of world football, delivering a massive blow to the authority of FIFA and Blatter.

“However, for you, it might not necessarily be a good thing.

“They will go to great lengths to paint you as an arrogant figure trying to place himself above the global football family. You should know how quickly public opinion can turn, and they absolutely have the power to spin it. So…

“Let’s call a truce,” David Dunn urged, looking at Wang Shuo.

Wang Shuo noticed that the specific word David Dunn used was “truce.”

“What do they want?” Shen Qinghe asked calmly. It was obvious she had also figured out the implication of David Dunn’s choice of words.

This was David Dunn’s first time meeting Shen Qinghe. His first impression was that she was stunningly beautiful, but he was also well aware that she was the person Wang Shuo trusted the most.

“What they want most, of course, is for Wang to attend the awards ceremony. In return, they are willing to offer as much compensation as possible.

“For example, at the Golden Ball Award ceremony, they will announce Wang’s appointment as FIFA’s Global Football Ambassador.”

Promotional ambassadors were a long-standing tradition at FIFA, serving as official figureheads, though the roles were divided into various tiers. The lowest tier included titles like “Fair Play Ambassador” or “Anti-Racism Ambassador.” These were typically created when FIFA organized specific campaigns and needed to appoint a spokesperson. However, such appointments were usually short-term, expiring as soon as the campaign ended.

The next tier up included roles like the World Cup Ambassador—envoys appointed specifically to promote a single tournament. Ambassadors at this level usually served longer terms and carried more weight, remaining active from the initial preparations through to the tournament’s conclusion. The candidates varied; some were famous stars from the host country or continent, some were global icons, and a few were even cultural or entertainment celebrities.

Then came the FIFA Global Football Ambassador. As the name implied, the scope was worldwide, and the tenure was long-term. Generally, this position was reserved for retired legendary players or prominent social figures; it was exceptionally rare for an active player to hold the title. If an active player did assume this role, it signified that their influence in the football world had received official endorsement from FIFA.

Above the Global Football Ambassador was the absolute highest tier: the Global Image Ambassador. This was the ultimate representation of football worldwide, serving as the highest honor in the sport, akin to a Lifetime Achievement Award. Naturally, the immense prestige of this honor meant it was exclusively reserved for legendary icons on the level of Pele, Maradona, and Beckenbauer, all of whom had only received it after their retirement.

The Global Football Ambassador title that FIFA was offering Wang Shuo now was second only to that lifetime achievement honor. It was the absolute biggest bargaining chip they had!

“In addition to this, FIFA is willing to launch a cooperative project aimed at the long-term development of Chinese football.

“Over the next five years, they will invest at least ten million US Dollars annually into building China’s youth academy system, training coaches and referees, and improving basic infrastructure.

“They will dispatch FIFA technical and youth training experts to be permanently stationed in China, helping to establish football academies and elite training centers.

“They will collaborate with multiple departments in China to fully promote the popularization of campus and grassroots football.

“They will also set up a football foundation named after Wang Shuo to support young Chinese players seeking to play in Europe.

“You will be in charge of this entire cooperative project, tasked with helping Chinese football break into the World Cup finals as quickly as possible.”

If the Global Football Ambassador title was merely a badge of honor, then this was FIFA showing tangible sincerity. It meant Wang Shuo’s ambassadorial role would no longer be an empty title, but a platform backed by concrete plans and projects.

By convention, ambassadors usually focused on a specific domain. For instance, an ambassador for women’s football development would be called the Women’s Football Ambassador. In Wang Shuo’s case, he would effectively serve as the Youth Football Ambassador.

Wang Shuo glanced at Shen Qinghe. She blinked in response, signaling that the other party was indeed showing immense sincerity. Most importantly, FIFA had run out of time to haggle!

“Wang, the conditions FIFA has agreed to already demonstrate their sincerity. What do you think?” Pausing for a moment, David Dunn perhaps felt his words didn’t carry enough weight, so he immediately added another point. “Wang, believe me, at this current stage, no one can bring down Blatter. Even if the Golden Ball Award is left vacant, he will still be the FIFA President. At the very least, no one can challenge him right now.”

David Dunn’s meaning was crystal clear: collect a portion of the interest first, and prepare for a war of attrition!

Wang Shuo was only twenty-one years old. As long as he maintained his outstanding competitive form, he had plenty of time. But at this current stage, trying to fight to the bitter end was simply unrealistic.

Wang Shuo and Shen Qinghe had considered this beforehand. The main problem was that over a month had passed, and shockingly, no one had stepped up to oppose Blatter.

That son of a bitch Platini was a spineless coward! With a pathetic attitude like his, he actually wanted to challenge Blatter?