Football players who had tough childhood

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October 7, 2019

Nowadays, football players arouse not only admiration but also jealousy. We appreciate their skills and devotion but we’re also jealous of their lavish, luxurious life. Tabloids are full of titbits about their personal lives and shocking salaries. For the majority of people, such life is an unrealizable dream. It seems unachievable, especially for people who come from poor families or small towns. It turns out that many famous football players had to overcome a lot of difficulties to become who they are currently.  We hope that those stories will inspire you to believe in your dreams and work hard.

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1. Cristiano Ronaldo

One of the best football players in the world, inspiration for many young aficionados of this sport. He was born and raised in Funchal on Portuguese island Madera. He lived in a house too small for the family of six where the walls leaked. At the age of six, he started to play football. His coach noticed not only his potential but also that the boy is emaciated and malnourished. He was called “crier” because he hated to lose and easily burst into tears when something went wrong. Since the beginning, he aimed high. Not only thanks to his talent, but primarily because of his hard work and determination, he managed to turn his life around and achieve resounding success. He didn’t have the best football boots but he had something that no one can buy – strong will and self-belief.

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2. Diego Maradona

We don’t have to introduce this name. He is considered to be one of the best football players in the history of football. Born in Argentina as the fifth of eight children in the poorest family in a town. His father worked as a bricklayer and his mother took care of children. At his third birthday, he received a football t-shirt and a ball so, to avoid theft, he slept with his gifts for 6 months. His mother wanted him to do something different in life but she, as well as the whole world, understood that football is his vocation.

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3. Leo Messi

The Argentine football player before achieved his success had to deal with many adversities. As a child, he lagged behind his peers, he was much shorter because of growth hormone deficiency. For many years he had to inject this hormone in his legs. At the age of 13, he moved from Argentina to Barcelona but his family didn’t want to stay there. He had to choose between coming back to the motherland with his family and playing in the football school La Masia in Barcelona. It wasn’t an easy choice for sure, but he chose the second option. Today Leo is 66.9291 inches (170 cm) high and probably many young boys at that height think they don’t have any chances for a sports career. Messi is a living proof that if you really want something – everything is possible!

4. Raheem Sterling

When he was 2 years old his father was murdered, he was mostly brought up by his grandma because his mother was doing her degree to provide her family a better life. He helped her to clean toilets before school so she could pay for her studies. Raheem remembers how jealous he was when he saw other children with their mums, his childhood wasn’t easy but he never stopped dreaming of becoming a football player. One of his arm tattoos shows a 10-years old boy who stares at Wembley Stadium and dreams to play there one day. As you can see, dreams really come true!

5. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Comes from Balkans but because of internal conflicts, his family had to move to Sweden. His father fell into alcoholism and his mother wasn’t able to make a living for the family. The fridge was empty and, even though Zalan tried to focus on football, his difficult living circumstances often forced him to thefts and frauds. In the junior team Malmö, other kid’s parents collected signatures to get rid of him because they didn’t want their children to hang out with a boy from ghetto. However, the club couldn’t get rid of such a good player. In his country, Ibra is the symbol of breaking away from ghetto and poverty and of making your dreams come true. Even though, he met on his way many people who disapproved of him and didn’t wish him well, he still followed his dreams and made them come true!