From Poverty To Sports Stars – The Brutal Reality Behind Stardom

Neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo was born a star. Who would have thought that Ronaldo lived in a house where they could only wash on the roof? Did you know that Messy needed expensive medication because he was too short? The world stars are among us! They are not just talented but have done everything they could to succeed. The road to the top is usually not easy, but there are athletes for whom this is especially true. Let’s look at athletes who came from poverty to sports stars!

Angel Di María - The Argentine Superstar

The Argentine legend, like Lionel Messi, was born in Rosario but had to endure more hardships in his childhood. Di María lived with his parents and two sisters in poor conditions. The family had almost nothing, so instead of a fun childhood, it was mostly about getting enough food and other basic necessities. Angel’s only fun was football, so he filled the days with kicking the ball with the neighborhood kids. Meanwhile, his parents worked in a coal mine where the conditions were horrible.  At the age of 10, Di María started working on the site, transporting coal, which involved a lot of physical exertion, and he was already a player at the local Rosario Central club. Di María and his family were able to break out of poverty thanks to football. In 2005, he made his debut on the Rosário adult team at the age of 17, where he quickly became one of the best players. So did he on the Argentine U-20 national team, which won the 2007 world title thanks to his leadership.

Europen Career

In this tournament, he drew the attention of top European clubs, of which the Portuguese Benfica got him for about 8 million Euros. After Di María signed the contract, the first thing he did was to buy a new house for his family. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNfwpgSEqNk   He finally left Portugal in 2010 for Real Madrid, which paid € 33 million for him, according to Bet365 Sportsbook. The player spent three years in Madrid, where they almost won everything. For example, the Spanish Championship, the Champions League, and twice the Spanish Cup. In 2014, he transferred to Manchester United for a record of € 75 million, where he didn’t spend much time. At the end of the season, he qualified for the PSG team for € 63 million, where he has been playing football ever since. However, probably not for long. Di María is also a constant player in the Argentine national team, wearing their jersey more than 100 times. This is how you come from poverty to a sports star! Of course, life isn’t roses all the way. He has his problems, which you can check out in our article about the ugliest and sexiest football players in the world!

From Poverty To Sports Stars - Luis Suárez

Atlético Madrid's Uruguayan center-forward grew up in quite impossible circumstances. The player was born in a poor family with seven children. When he was 7, his family moved to Montevideo for better living conditions, but their dreams did not come true. The father left the family, so little Suarez and his six siblings had to be raised by their mother alone.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZBs4vR23EU&t=13s Their situation was so difficult, that sometimes they didn’t even have food, so Suarez had to take a cleaning job to get some money. Finally, he could break out of deep poverty with the help of football. He started playing soccer for the Nacional Montevideo in his home country and was able to become a professional player at the age of 18. You can check out his best moments at Bet365 Sportsbook! He started the next season in Europe after the Dutch FC Groningen signed him for € 800. Suárez scored 15 goals in his first season, so he didn’t have to wait long for one of the biggest Dutch clubs to sign him. The center-forward scored one goal after the other in Ajax. He scored 111 goals in 4 years, so it was only a matter of time before one of the biggest clubs in Europe would take him. 

Playing In The Best Clubs

In 2011, Liverpool finally took bought him for € 26.5 million. What an upgrade! In three and a half years with them, Suarez became a world-class player. The FC Barcelona signed with him a record-breaking € 82 million contract in 2014. He has been part of the Atlético Madrid, but according to online sportsbook sites in Spain, he has to leave soon. He also has a major role in the Uruguayan national team and has the most goals. If he could come from poverty to a sports star, anyone can!

Messi and Ronaldo

The two soccer legends also had to face difficulties before making it big. For instance, Messi comes from a cramped, football-loving household. In terms of the cost of living, the family suffered due to the economic stagnation in Argentina. Back then, Lionel’s mother and father could barely support their family. Because of this, hyperinflation, the devaluation of the peso, and riots have become daily. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgXswu0T41s To make matters worse, he suffered from hormonal problems, which required expensive medical treatment. Of all the family, his grandmother was the only one who wanted Messi to become a football player at the time. She took him to his first football training at Grandoli’s local football club. The rest is history. Ronaldo also knows the journey from poverty to a sports star. Find out what he went through before becoming a billionaire football star at online sportsbook sites in Spain!

From Poverty To Sports Stars

LeBron James’s story did not start as you might think. His mother gave birth to him when she was only 16, and we don’t know who his father is. His grandmother died when he was only three years old, and his mother was left alone with a little kid and work. As you can imagine, she had to make lots of sacrifices. They often had to sleep in the car because they had nowhere to go.  He used to play with his friends at the park, where a football coach spotted him and helped his sports career in any way he could. He even let them move in with him. This was when things started to change. James joined the basketball team in high school, where they won every match. His talent stood out so much that Michael Jordan invited him over for a training session when he was only 16.  After that, he signed millions of dollars worth contracts, and his career took off. There were ups and downs at first, but as you know, he is a four-time champion who founded a primary school for disadvantaged kids, which you can check out at Bet365 Sportsbook! Thankfully, not every athlete from a poor background forgets where it all started!

The Colombian Cyclist

Sergio Higuita is one of the most beloved and modest cyclists. He came from a part of Colombia, where poverty and gang wars are the norm. His determination and good nature helped him with his sports career. As a cyclist, he earned the chance for a better life. You might remember when it hit the news soon after his arrival to his new European team that he was wearing torn shoes. There were speculations, but nobody would have guessed the real reason.  He gave his best shoes to a poor teen he met not long before boarding the plane to Europe! He gave away fifteen shirts he got from his team, as well, because they needed them more than he did. This is the kind of person he is, even though his road to success was bumpy indeed! In 2008, when he wanted to compete in a local competition, the bus that was supposed to take them there did not stop upon spotting the bicycle. Call it what you want, but we call what happened next faith. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64oKenOLGjY Soon after, a minivan came by full of the other competitors and offered to take the bike and meet them there. He joined this team, Club Nueva Generación. However, it turned out to be more than just a regular ream. The couple who founded it helped disadvantaged kids in hopes of a career or, at the very least, to keep them away from the gangs. The environment and the conditions of the place that Pablo Escobar left behind and where Sergio grew up were brutal! There is so much more to know about him, so look him up at Bet365 Sportsbook!

Always Be Humble And Kind

Most of you have probably heard about Michael Oher. Not many have thought that the big, quiet teenager had any qualities, but as it turned out, Michael Oher had an extraordinary talent for American football. However, the road to success was bumpy. Luckily, fate sent people in his path who believed in him. The story of Michael Oher inspired the movie: The Blind Side. Michael’s life did not start easy, but eventually, he became a great example of effort, empathy, and humility.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmh8rJMvE10 In 2002, little was known about the 16-year-old boy, who was practically homeless in Memphis. One kind man who took him in was Tony Henderson, and he was the one who also arranged for Michael to be admitted to the Briarcrest Christian School, where his life changed forever. Michael's academic results were horrific. He had an IQ of 80 and had already attended 11 public schools. Moreover, he had not attended school for more than a year. At Briarcrest, they also learned that Big Mike had 11 siblings, his father was killed, and his mother was a drug addict, so Michael grew up in foster homes. The principal initially refused to admit him to the institution, but under pressure from the football coach, he eventually admitted him, recognizing that this was the boy’s only chance to continue his education, with the condition that he would not engage in any activities until he improved his grades.

From Poverty To Sports Stars

Collins Tuohy, a sophomore at Briarcrest, told her parents that she had seen a boy at school who was remarkably big and always wore the same clothes. One day, the girl's father, Sean, also met the boy. The man then asked the school buffet to open a permanent account for Michael. Meanwhile, Michael improved a little on his marks when his teachers noticed that he performed better on oral exams than on written ones. He joined the school’s American football team at the end of his second school year. 

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Michael spent his nights alternately with five families, including the Tuohy family. One day after training, Leigh Anne Tuohy offered to take him by car, but when she saw the conditions the boy was living in, she decided to take him home for good. This was a turning point in Michael's life. The wealthy couple regarded him as their son. They helped him graduate and apply for college. He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal law in 2009.  After spending time in college football, he signed a 5-year, $ 13,8 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens team, with whom he won the Super Bowl in 2013 and became champion. He later played for the Tennessee Titans and the Carolina Panthers. Although he has not officially retired, he has not played in the NFL since 2017. He now lives a quiet life in Tennessee, still with the Tuohy family. His example shows that you can rise from poverty to a sports star!