Diary from the States, Day 19 | The heat of the wait

The heat takes your breath away. The thick humidity feels like a weight on your shoulders. Above the stadium, dark clouds creep in, slowly drifting, as if carrying a storm. But this is also what the eve of a big match feels like: something looming.

A game is coming—one that will shape our path. You feel the tension under your skin, but the team faces it with the right mindset. That’s what the coach demands: ambition, intensity, readiness. “Be the best version of ourselves.”

The Bank of America Stadium rises powerfully, like an arena awaiting its show. It’s there that destinies will cross, where the strength of ambition is measured. But it’s not only there that our journey takes form.

These past days brought us into contact with a special place: the University of North Carolina. A cornerstone of American history, of culture, of society—and of sport. This is where coach Dean Smith left his mark, revolutionizing basketball and changing the world beyond the court. From these halls, legends have risen. Michael Jordan: right here, in 1982, he took his first step into greatness, with that NCAA final. You walk through the corridors and the words that line the walls hit you—not just slogans, but real direction: play hard, smart, together. Together we win. It’s not just talk—it’s the essence of what truly matters, when it matters most.

Even the name Tar Heels tells a story. Once an insult, now a symbol—of toughness, of identity, of pride.

All these meanings—history, sport, belonging, challenge—now meet us on our path. The heat burns, the sky grows heavy. The eve is here. We’re ready to walk through it. Together.