This quickly sparked the first wave of public discussion.
Soon after, media outlets and television stations from countries across Europeâincluding Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italyâbegan to join in, and the hype started to build.
In particular, videos of Wang Shuoâs goal were constantly pushed on television stations, highlight reels, and video websites in various countries, quickly sparking heated discussions among fans.
The goal itself wasnât actually that spectacular.
Everyoneâs first reaction upon seeing it was, âDortmundâs attack is seriously fast!â
But Wang Shuo was no rookie.
He had scored quite a few spectacular goals in the recent past.
Curious fans began to dig deeper. Fans online, in particular, started constantly sharing video compilations of Wang Shuoâs various goals, triggering more and more discussion among netizens and football fans.
More and more people were discovering that the Bundesliga had a player like him all along.
Dribbling breakthroughs, beating several players in a row, the Swing Pass...
Clips of all kinds of spectacular goals and breakthroughs appeared one after another.
Most importantly, not only was he technically skilled and fast, but crucially, he also had incredible stamina.
His average of 12 kilometers covered per match was comparable to the worldâs most tireless midfielders.
Uh, no, actuallyâmost of those tireless midfielders canât even hit that average.
It was simply unbelievable!
As the hype continued to build online, traditional media outlets all jumped on the bandwagon.
Especially in Europe and Asia, everyone from print media to television stations, to major websites and forums, began pushing out content about him.
Even the fashion and entertainment sections were buzzing with discussions about Wang Shuoâs relationship with the German supermodel, Lina Gerk.
Once the public discussion took off, the German Football Association, the German Professional Football League, and Dortmund all realized the opportunity and began to fuel the hype.
The biggest difference between Dortmund and Mainz is that Dortmund has a ton of club legends.
Back when they made it to the DFB-Pokal final, Bayernâs legends all came out to build momentum. But Mainz?
They were so lacking in that department it was almost embarrassing.
But now?
With the German Football Association and the German Professional Football League stepping in, it goes without saying that legends from the German Football Scene would also come forward.
Dortmund itself had plenty of its own legends.
Sommer, hailed as Germanyâs last libero.
His playing career was brilliant, and when he coached Dortmund, he led the Bumblebees to their last peak, fondly remembered by countless Dortmund fans.
Now, as the sporting director of the German Football Association, he came forward to praise Wang Shuo.
"He is the most exciting young player to emerge in the German Football Scene in the past few years."
Sommer stated that Wang Shuo is a super-talent on par with the very top superstars.
"Not only is he extremely fast and technically outstanding, but more importantly, his tactical awareness is exceptional. He is also highly creative, which makes him comparable to the most elite young talents in world football."
Coming from Sommer, those words carried a lot of weight, didnât they?
Lars Ricken, the pride of Dortmundâs youth academy, was once praised by Brazilian coach Pereira as a player who played like Pele.
Heynckes hailed him as a great talent.
Now, the head of Dortmundâs youth academy also came forward for an interview, publicly stating, "Wang Shuo possesses incredible talent. And in fact, he is already a highly competitive player."
"Heâs more talented and better than I was. At least at his age, I couldnât match his achievements!"
"In my memory, very few players have reached his level: Ronaldo, Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo."
As a former German prodigy himself, Lars Ricken said that although Wang Shuo didnât come from Dortmundâs youth academy, he had heard many rumors about him.
"I think the most important thing for him right now is to stay injury-free. Thatâs crucial!"
"Iâve spoken with Klopp and the teamâs medical staff. His body is in excellent health, which I find very... magical!"
"Considering his attendance rate and his style of play, I honestly find it unbelievable!"
Besides these two Dortmund legends, Jan Koller and Chapuisat, two former legendary number 9s for Dortmund, also gave interviews to the media, lavishing praise on Wang Shuoâs performance.
Both Jan Koller and Chapuisat believed that Wang Shuo was the ideal successor to Dortmundâs legendary number 9 jersey.
Andreas MĂŒller, a talented player known for his delicate footworkâa rarity in German football historyâwho once played for Dortmund and Juventus, even gave an exclusive interview to China Capital Television.
In the interview, the Dortmund legend lauded Wang Shuo as the most special player in the Bundesliga.
"Whether in Germany, Europe, Asia, or even the whole world, countless fans are starting to pay attention to this young player from China."
"He didnât just score an astonishing goal. More importantly, he is striving to become the most unique player in the Bundesliga, and indeed, in the entire world of football!"
The Football Emperor, Beckenbauer, was also interviewed by China Capital Television.
"When he was still at Mainz, I recommended him to Bayernâs management. I believe he has the ability to become a top superstar on the same level as Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kaka."
"Of course, heâs still very young right now, but I believe he has that potential!"
Beckenbauer expressed his regret that Bayern, for various reasons, had missed out on this brilliantly talented young prodigy.