A world-class hat-trick earns Real Madrid star an immediate 'Golden Ball award'

Federico Valverde was joyfully presented with a Golden Ball by a reporter after his stunning hat-trick against Man City, a moment that made the Real Madrid star the center of attention for fans.

Federico Valverde delivered a brilliant performance by scoring a hat-trick that helped Real Madrid secure a convincing 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Champions League. The Uruguayan midfielder's outstanding display even prompted an excited reporter to "present him with the Golden Ball" right after the match.

In hosting Man City at the Bernabeu, Valverde became the focal point with an explosive performance. The midfielder, born in 1998, opened the scoring after capitalizing on a precise long pass from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Shortly after, he doubled the lead thanks to a well-coordinated play with Vinicius Junior.

Before the first half concluded, Valverde completed his impressive hat-trick. He skillfully controlled the ball in mid-air before unleashing a powerful volley from Brahim Diaz's clever through pass, leaving Man City's defense helpless.

The Real Madrid star's masterclass performance led Prime Video Italia reporter Alessia Tarquinio to show her excitement. In the post-match interview area, she humorously held up her phone displaying a Golden Ball image and "symbolically awarded" it to Valverde.

“I have to give you this because I don't have the real trophy here: the Golden Ball!”, the reporter said with laughter. Faced with this amusing situation, Valverde joked back: “So does that phone belong to me now?”.

After the match, the Uruguayan midfielder expressed his happiness about Real Madrid's crucial victory: “These are the nights you always dream of. It's been a long time since I enjoyed a match like this. I'm very happy, but the most important thing is that the team won.”

Despite helping Real Madrid gain a significant advantage with a 3-0 win, Valverde remained cautious ahead of the return leg at the Etihad. He emphasized that the whole team must maintain maximum focus and not underestimate Manchester City.

“Matches in Manchester are always very difficult. We must approach the second leg as if the score is still 0-0 and fight with all our might. When the whole team strives together, we can achieve great things”, Valverde affirmed.