Footballers who had a difficult childhood

You see the world star — do you know where they began?

On screen, we see goals, contracts and packed stadiums. This article looks in the other direction, towards the beginnings of Ronaldo, Maradona, Messi, Lewandowski and Ibrahimović.

The five stories connect difficult circumstances with decisions, support and the importance of football. They invite you to look behind the finished image of the star and begin a life story before the point at which success becomes visible.

Today, footballers attract not only admiration but envy. We value their skill and dedication, yet may also envy their lavish lives. Tabloids are full of snippets about private lives and shockingly high salaries. For most people, such a life seems an unattainable dream, especially for those from poor families or small towns.

Yet many famous footballers had numerous difficulties to overcome before becoming who they are. We hope these stories inspire you to believe in your dreams and the value of hard work.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

One of the world’s best footballers and an inspiration to many young fans. He was born and raised in Funchal on Portugal’s island of Madeira. He lived in a house too small for a family of six, with damp walls. He started football at six. His coach noticed not only his potential, but also how thin and undernourished the boy was.

He was called “Crybaby” because he hated losing and readily burst into tears when things went wrong. He aimed high from the beginning. Talent helped, but above all hard work and determination allowed him to change his life and achieve resounding success. He did not have the best boots, but he had something nobody can buy: a strong will and self-belief.

2. Diego Maradona

This name scarcely needs explaining. He is regarded as one of football history’s greatest players. Born in Argentina as the fifth of eight children in the poorest family in a town, he had a bricklayer father and a mother who cared for the children. On his third birthday, he received a football shirt and a ball. To prevent theft, he slept with his gifts for six months.

His mother wanted him to do something else in life, but she and the whole world soon understood that football was his great calling.

3. Leo Messi

The Argentine footballer faced many difficulties from an early age. As a child, he lagged behind his peers in growth and was much shorter because of growth hormone deficiency. For years, he needed injections in his legs to increase the hormone’s level. At 13, he moved from Argentina to Barcelona, but his family did not want to stay there.

He had to choose between returning home with his family and playing at Barcelona’s La Masia academy. It cannot have been easy, but he chose the latter. Today, Leo is 170 cm tall, and many boys of that height probably think they have no chance of a sporting career. Messi is living proof that anything is possible if you truly want it.

4. Robert Lewandowski

A great hero of Polish football and one of Poland’s wealthiest athletes. Although his life now seems perfect, with an extraordinary career and loving family, his beginnings were far from easy. He grew up in Leszno and trained in Warsaw; travelling to training and back home took two hours. He was the youngest and thinnest player, and there was not even kit in his size. That did not discourage him.

As his career began, his father died. It was traumatic. He had to grow up quickly and support his mother, including financially. In the same year he suffered a hamstring injury that affected his performances, and the club did not retain him. There were many difficulties, but nothing could stop him.

We hope nothing can stop you either. Wherever you are now, what matters is following your path and fulfilling your dreams.

5. Zlatan Ibrahimović

He comes from Balkan roots, but internal conflicts forced his family to move to Sweden. His father fell into alcoholism, and his mother struggled to earn enough for the family. The refrigerator was empty. Although Zlatan tried to concentrate on football, difficult circumstances often pushed him towards theft and fraud.

In Malmö’s youth team, parents collected signatures to remove him because they did not want their children spending time with a boy from the ghetto. The club, however, could not let such a good player go. In his country, Ibra symbolises escape from the ghetto and poverty, and the fulfilment of dreams.

Although he encountered many people who disapproved of him and did not wish him well, he followed his dreams and made them come true.