Hope is what implores us to walk through hell with a smile, to see heaven on the other side. Miracles make us believe and have faith in the impossible. Man so proudly fights the inevitable with zero logical reasoning, solely due to the hope he direly clings to. Such was the atmosphere in Bernabéu when Real Madrid faced off against Arsenal in the second leg of the UCL quarter-finals. Crowds, engulfed with passion, cheered and shouted their hearts out. A single boy, passionately yet timidly, prayed in the corner, hoping that perhaps Madrid would make the comeback everyone wanted—no, the comeback everyone needed, he corrected himself.
After facing Arsenal in the first leg, Madrid, the defending champions of the UCL, were on the verge of getting knocked out. At least three goals were needed to equalise the loss. But the crowd was not believing in vain. In the chronicles of football, the majesty has always been in spectacular comebacks by teams that toppled the scoreboards. Just as Declan Rice had given the world not one but two of perhaps the most beautiful free kicks ever seen, it was hoped that Madrid would pull this off too. With the crowd in their own hometown, Real Madrid started off pretty strong. The first penalty awarded to Arsenal was guarded off with great leisure. But as time ticked, pressure increased, and our chests tightened with heavy breath. The first half had passed, yet there was no progress on either side.
“Maybe the miracle would happen in the last minutes,” a boy whispered into another’s ear as they both sighed into the air.
Life, at its core, is similar to the football field. Miracles have been used throughout history to garner the support of the people. They’ve been pulled off by kings, prophets, and generals to make people believe in them and cross their rational limits. As it is often said, the greatest of human power lies in believing. And power and strength exist where men believe them to be. Whether it is seen in Mbappé or hoped in Rice, the field resonates with the will of the people. In the midst of defeat, people hope that one goal, one comeback, could be their inspiration for growth. If they witness it there, they resonate with it throughout their life, trying to mimic it there.
It is the idea of hope against all reason that is the greatest of all things. This is what makes football not a sport but a phenomenon that prevails through all time. Whether it is the match of Liverpool against Barcelona in the second leg of the semi-final of the UCL 2019, or some other standoff, the world holds its breath in awe as the hearts of millions unite in the moment. From the streets of Paris to the children sitting beneath cracked roofs in Africa, every breath moves in sync with the ticks of the clock. Another free kick, another foul, and perhaps a red card. In the last moments of extra time, one single shot changes the emotions of the crowd. Just as Martinelli gave the world the winning goal in the final minutes, hopes crashed on one side and the other side cheered with joy.
The final result was out: it was a loss, 2–1. Madrid, who had won 15 times before, was losing—not just a match but a legacy that they had inherited over the years. And Arsenal, who had never before conquered the UCL, had finally found hope again—that perhaps this would be their time to show the world a miracle.
Perhaps that is the point of it all, the point of football being the glory it is. It teaches us that we do not need miracles to win, to proceed in life. It reaffirms that it is what they make us feel that is more important. With each match, we know there are moments that tell us that multiple possibilities exist in life—that perhaps next time we can do better. Or maybe our loss is just another’s justified wish. We need the idea of this miracle, not to prevail but to realise that we are alive with our own soul and passion. We, too, can be beacons of hope and light for thousands of people. It makes us believe in something that transcends race, colour, nationality, and gender, unites us in one field, in one match, with a whistle that controls our fate. That is the blessing that football bestows on us.