Roma were relentless. The early goal had only emboldened them, their hunger for more growing with every attack. Verona were reeling, struggling to contain the whirlwind that was Nico Cruyff. Every time he touched the ball, something happened—something dangerous, something magical.
Verona tried to hold their shape, but it was a losing battle. Roma were dictating the tempo, and in the 35th minute, they struck again.
It all started deep in Roma's own half. Alessandro Florenzi, ever the engine, intercepted a loose Verona pass and immediately sprang forward. With a sharp one-two with Miralem Pjanić, he created space and drove through the midfield, slicing Verona open.
Seeing the move unfold, Nico positioned himself just outside the box, lurking between defenders. Florenzi spotted him and threaded a pass through traffic. The ball rolled to Nico's feet with perfect weight, begging for brilliance.
And brilliance followed.
With his first touch, he shifted the ball to his right, ghosting past Matteo Bianchetti. A second touch sent Rafael Márquez the wrong way, the Mexican veteran lunging at air. Now inside the box, Nico faced the final defender, Vangelis Moras, standing his ground.
But Nico was a step ahead. With a deft body feint, he baited Moras into a desperate stab at the ball—only to slip past him with a final, ruthless cut. Three defenders beaten in the blink of an eye.
Now, it was him and Rafael. The keeper rushed out, arms spread wide, trying to make himself big. But Nico had already decided. With a flick of his boot, he sent the ball rolling between Rafael's legs, nutmegging him with a finish dripping in audacity.
Goal. Again.
Peter Drury (on commentary):
"Oh, stop it! Just stop it! This is ridiculous! Nico Cruyff is putting on a show in Verona! That is genius, pure genius! 15 years old, and he's making Serie A defenders look like training cones!"
Stewart Robson:
"That's outrageous. The close control, the composure, and the cheek to nutmeg the keeper—it's almost disrespectful! Roma have a superstar on their hands!"
Nico didn't break character. Once more, he jogged toward the Roma fans, his expression unreadable, his aura regal. As he reached them, he slowed, then gracefully knelt down, arms resting on his legs—the Prince's Pose.
The Stadio Bentegodi echoed with the celebrations of the traveling Roma faithful. Verona had no answers. Nico had taken control of the game, bending it to his will.
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Roma were merciless. Even with a 2-0 lead, they showed no intention of slowing down. They smelled blood, and they wanted the game buried before the half-time whistle. Verona, desperate to reach the break without further damage, retreated deeper, but it only invited more pressure.
In the 44th minute, Roma launched another devastating attack.
It started with Daniele De Rossi, the gladiator in midfield, reading the play and cutting out a loose Verona pass. Without hesitation, he knocked the ball forward to Pjanić, who in turn fed Francesco Totti. The Roma captain, despite his years, was still a magician in tight spaces.
Totti rolled his marker, turned into space, and looked up. The moment he tried to surge forward, a desperate lunge from Emil Hallfreðsson sent him tumbling to the ground. The referee's whistle rang through the stadium.
A free kick for Roma.
30 meters from goal.
Peter Drury (on commentary):
"Now then… This could be special. A free kick in a dangerous position for Roma, and look who's stepping up."
Nico Cruyff picked up the ball and walked to the spot, placing it down with quiet precision. The noise from the Roma supporters behind the goal swelled, sensing what was coming. He took four steps back, his emerald-green eyes locked onto the target.
Stewart Robson:
"This is interesting. Totti's on the pitch, Pjanić too—both brilliant from these kinds of distances… but it's the teenager, Nico Cruyff, who's taken responsibility. And you know what? That tells you everything you need to know about this kid. Because when Nico steps up for a free kick, it's as good as in. His 'Invisible Hand' technique is something truly special—goalkeepers know it's coming, but they still can't stop it."
The stage was set.
The wall stood firm. The Verona players, desperate, lined up, arms shielding their faces, bracing for impact. Rafael adjusted his position in goal, bouncing lightly on his feet, eyes darting between the ball and the 15-year-old standing over it.
The stadium held its breath.
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In the stands, the anticipation was thick, buzzing through the Roma faithful as Nico took his measured steps back from the ball.
A young boy tugged at his mother's sleeve, eyes shining with excitement. "Mom, watch this! It's Nico!"
His mother smiled, already familiar with the name. "I know who he is, sweetheart."
"Yeah, but have you seen his free kicks? They always go in! They call it the Invisible Hand!"
She raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Always? That's impossible, honey."
The boy just grinned, turning back to the pitch. "You'll see."
A few rows down, a group of teenage girls huddled together, eyes fixed on Nico.
"He's unreal," one of them sighed dreamily.
"Forget unreal, look at his hair—black silk," another gushed.
"And his eyes," a third chimed in. "Like emeralds. Prince of Rome, I'm telling you."
Meanwhile, an elderly man sat beside his grandson, the little boy clutching his Roma scarf.
"Nonno, is he gonna score?"
The old man let out a soft chuckle, his gaze steady on the pitch. "Ragazzo… if Nico is taking it, there's only one place the ball is going."
And as the stadium collectively held its breath, Nico exhaled slowly, his emerald eyes locked on the target.
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Nico ran up and struck the ball with precision. It swerved left, then right—dancing through the air as if guided by an unseen force. The ball carved an unpredictable path, its movement defying logic, a masterpiece of physics and artistry intertwined.
Rafael, Hellas Verona's experienced goalkeeper, could only watch in desperation. He dived, stretching every inch of his frame, but it was futile. The ball nestled into the top left corner, untouched, unstoppable.
The Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi fell silent for a split second before the traveling Roma supporters erupted in sheer ecstasy. Their voices cut through the stunned Verona crowd, a thunderous declaration that history had just been made.
Peter Drury (on commentary):
"That is sorcery! That is footballing magic! He is fifteen years old, and he has just written his name in the annals of history! Nico Cruyff—take a bow!"
Stewart Robson:
"We've run out of superlatives, Peter. His free kicks—if he steps up, it's as good as in. He's perfected the craft, and Rafael had no chance. This is an artist at work, a generational talent on full display."
Nico sprinted toward the corner where the Roma fans were packed, his heart pounding with adrenaline. He grabbed the hem of his jersey, pulling it over his head in one swift motion, revealing his lean frame as he turned his back to the cameras.
"NICO CRUYFF. 10."
The image was immortalized in that instant—a fifteen-year-old prodigy, standing before thousands, basking in the roar of the traveling supporters who had just witnessed the birth of something extraordinary.
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As the referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the first half, Roma's players walked off the pitch with their heads held high. It had been a first half of pure dominance, a display of relentless attacking football, orchestrated by their teenage prodigy.
Inside the tunnel, the Roma staff exchanged knowing glances. Nico Cruyff had done more than enough. At just fifteen, he had dismantled Verona with a hat-trick, becoming the youngest player in Serie A history to do so. There was no need to risk him further.
As the second half began, Roma made their substitution—Nico off, greeted by pats on the back from his teammates and a knowing nod from the coaching staff. The Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi acknowledged him with applause, even from some Verona fans who couldn't help but admire the sheer brilliance of what they had just witnessed.
Roma continued their control, dictating the tempo of the match, and in the 67th minute, Francesco Totti added the finishing touch. The captain, the legend, rolled back the years with a signature finish, slotting the ball past Rafael after a well-worked team move.
When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read 4-0 to Roma. A statement victory. A night that belonged to the Giallorossi, but more than anything, a night that belonged to Nico Cruyff.
His Serie A debut. His first goal. His first hat-trick. And the world had just witnessed the rise of a new prince in football.
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CBS Sports Post-Match Analysis
Host: Kate Abdo
Analysts: Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, Micah Richards
Kate Abdo: "Alright, gentlemen, let's talk about the young man who just stole the headlines tonight—Nico Cruyff. The youngest player to score a hat-trick in Serie A history, and he did it in his debut for Roma. Thierry, you've seen a lot of great debuts, but where does this one rank?"
Thierry Henry:"Kate, I've seen some incredible debuts, but this? This was special. This wasn't just a young kid scoring goals—this was a 15-year-old controlling a Serie A game like a seasoned pro. The first goal? A 37-meter rocket. The second? A solo effort, dribbling through defenders like they weren't even there. And the free kick? My goodness, that was something else. We knew about his Invisible Hand free kicks, but to see it in action in Serie A? He made it look effortless. It's almost unfair to the goalkeepers."
Jamie Carragher:"Thierry, I think 'almost unfair' is an understatement. That last goal—Rafael had no chance! The ball moved like it had a mind of its own. And I have to say, it's not just the goals, it's the composure. He's playing in one of the toughest leagues in the world, away from home, and he celebrates like he's been doing this for years. Kneeling in front of the Roma fans, holding up his shirt—'Nico Cruyff, 10'—it was like a scene from a movie!"
Micah Richards:"And let's be honest—Verona had no answers. Nico wasn't just scoring, he was orchestrating the entire attack. Every pass, every dribble, every touch—it was pure quality. And what did Roma do? They took him off at halftime! Can you imagine what he could have done in the second half?!"
Kate Abdo:"Let's talk about the bigger picture. Nico Cruyff—on loan from Barcelona. He's already proven himself in Spain, and now he's tearing up Serie A. Jamie, does this loan move make sense for Barcelona?"
Jamie Carragher:"No, it doesn't, Kate. Barcelona fans are already questioning it. You've got a 15-year-old who has dominated at every level he's played, and they're sending him out on loan again? I get that they have Messi, Neymar, Suárez—but this kid isn't just another academy player. He's a once-in-a-generation talent. If he keeps playing like this, Barcelona will have a real problem, because big clubs will start circling."
Thierry Henry:"let's be real—he doesn't need protecting. You don't send a talent like this on loan, you build your team around him. Pep Guardiola had Messi at 19 and built a system around him. Nico at 15 is doing things most professionals can't even dream of. If he stays at Roma, gets a full season of first-team football in Serie A, and keeps producing moments like tonight… Barcelona might struggle to keep him."
Micah Richards:"And you know what? The kid knows it. You saw his celebration—holding up the shirt, looking straight into the camera, like he was sending a message: 'Remember the name.' And trust me, everyone will remember the name."
Kate Abdo:"So, let's end with this—if Nico keeps this up, what happens next?"
Jamie Carragher:"Barcelona has a decision to make. Do they bring him back and build their future around him, or do they risk losing one of the biggest talents football has ever seen?"
Thierry Henry:"If I were Barcelona, I'd be making plans for him right now, because after tonight, the whole world knows that Nico Cruyff is something special."
Micah Richards:"And if they don't? Then we'll be sitting here a year from now, saying—Barcelona made one of the biggest mistakes in football history."
Kate Abdo:"Strong words from the panel, and I don't think anyone would argue with them.
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