The truth was brutal: FIFA 23 Next Gen was out. All his friends were playing it on their new consoles or high-end gaming phones. Leo had a bus pass and a collection of old socks. His family couldn’t afford the real game. He couldn’t even afford the data to stream it.

“No,” Leo said, louder. He turned to the shadowy crowd. “Turn off your phones! Uninstall the APK! It’s a scam!”

Leo stopped running. He stood still at the center circle. He looked at the QR code and, instead of trying to steal the ball, he shouted: “This isn’t a game!”

The “FIFA 23 APK” icon was gone. In its place was a simple note app. He opened it. One line was typed:

He installed it. The icon was a slightly off-kilter version of the real FIFA logo—the angle of the footballer’s kick was wrong, like a funhouse mirror reflection.