There was a moment during Germany's tense battle with Spain on Sunday night that added to Jamal Musiala's growing legend.
The teenager picked up the ball on the turn and started dancing between Pedri and Gavi, the last two recipients of the Golden Boy award. The Spanish duo were mesmerised by his quick feet and could do nothing but concede a free kick in a dangerous position.
Few talents can humble the best youngsters in Europe, yet Musiala is no ordinary footballer. The 19-year-old, who could've played for England, is showing everyone his outrageous ability at the World Cup in Qatar and proving why he's on Liverpool's radar.
England's loss is Germany's gain
Musiala was born in Germany and plays for Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, yet he could've worn the Three Lions instead. That's because he spent most of his childhood in the UK after moving from the small German town of Fulda aged seven.
Musiala joined Southampton on his arrival and moved to Chelsea 12 months later, spending eight years in the club's prolific academy. During that time, the winger represented England at various youth levels - including the U21s.
Yet his return to Germany to join Bayern's academy in 2019 started his journey to the top of German football. He broke into the first team at the end of the 2019/20 campaign and decided to represent the nation of his birth at the beginning of 2021.
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It was a tough decision for Musiala, who regards England as his "home", to take. "It is difficult to find words for what England means for me because I have so many memories connected to very positive emotions," the teenager told The Athletic in February 2021.
"I have a heart for Germany and a heart for England. Both hearts will keep on beating."
It was a huge blow to England manager Gareth Southgate, who knew he missed out on a generational talent. "We’d have liked him to stay for certain," said Southgate in June.
He added: "We enjoyed working with him when he was in our junior teams. He was a really nice boy to work with. We knew he was going to be, and he is, a good player... Sometimes your heart is going to take you somewhere else. We have complete respect for that."
Becoming an international superstar
After Musiala pledged his international future to Germany, his career took off. He became a regular at Bayern and has a packed trophy cabinet that includes two Bundesliga titles, the Champions League, Club World Cup and European Super Cup.
This season has undoubtedly been his best. Musiala has scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists for Bayern in 22 games to help them progress in the Champions League and go four points clear at the top of the Bundesliga after a tricky start under Julian Nagelsmann.
Musiala's form has caught Liverpool's eye. It's believed the Reds are considering making a move for the talent if they fail to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham next summer, although the Bayern ace is said to be happy at the Allianz Arena.
Musiala has also cemented himself in Germany's starting XI under Hansi Flick - the manager who gave him his debut at Bayern. He's already won 19 senior caps and played in all six of their Nations League fixtures during the summer, including twice against England.
Musiala's second appearance against Southgate's side made every England supporter realise what they had missed out on. He latched on to a sloppy pass from Harry Maguire and started running at the Manchester United captain, leaving a packed Wembley anxious.
Maguire would've been forgiven for panicking. The defender tried to tackle Musiala, but all he managed to do was kick the teenager to the ground and concede a penalty. Maguire wasn't even close to taking the ball, such was the speed of Musiala's magical legs.
Musiala has continued to sparkle at the World Cup. He was one of Germany's few positives in their surprise 2-1 defeat to Japan at the Khalifa International Stadium on Wednesday and dazzled in the 1-1 draw against Spain at the Al Bayt Stadium four days later.
Former Germany skipper Lothar Matthaus was so impressed with Musiala that he compared him to one of the all-time greats. "He can be the Messi of the future, he is excellent," the 1990 World Cup winner told BBC Sport. "I have loved him for the last two years, I love his style of football and I love his personality.
"He is 19 years old, he is doing the things that will make him a top footballer. He has great passing, he is clever with his thinking and he loves football... he has a passion for football."
Musiala's delightful displays have left England fans green with envy, but did he make the right decision in rejecting the Three Lions? There's a very good chance that if he was in Southgate's 26-player squad, all he would be doing is warming the bench.
Phil Foden, another outstanding English talent, has played just 19 minutes of World Cup football so far and Jack Grealish continues to be overlooked for a starting role. The latter's omission is probably the most telling, as he's the best dribbler in the England squad.
Perhaps Musiala chose to play for Germany because he was worried about getting into England's starting XI. In that interview with The Athletic, he added: "I’ve thought about this question a lot. What is best for my future? Where do I have more chances to play?
"In the end, I just listened to the feeling that over a long period of time kept telling me that it was the right decision to play for Germany, the land I was born in. Still, it wasn’t an easy decision for me."
Although Germany's World Cup hopes hang in the balance, Musiala's decision to play for Flick has allowed him to light up the tournament in Qatar. It's proved to wise move from the ex-Chelsea star, leaving Southgate to wonder what could've been.
