The Five Best Football Players Who Grew Up in Poor Environments
Football is something that brings together a variety of people from around the world. You don’t need money to become a successful footballer, as many have shown in the past. Here we take a look at the best five football players who grew up in poor environments but overcame that and turned themselves into world superstars.
#5 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Ibrahimovic is one of the most recognisable names in world football, but he didn’t have the start in life you would expect. Raised in a poor part of Malmo, Sweden, Zlatan had a Bosnian father and Croatian mother, who split when he was two. This led to him stealing to support himself at times, and riding his bike to training.
• Current net worth – $190 million
• Best salaries – $35 million
• Clubs played for – Malmo, Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, PSG, Manchester United, LA Galaxy
• Achievements – Trophy winners in Holland, Italy, Spain, France & England
#4 Luka Modric
Luka Modric started life in war torn Croatia during his childhood, living inside a refugee camp as the Croatian war of independence took place. Stories from this time include him playing football in a car park while grenades were thrown nearby, such was the danger at this time.
• Current net worth - $7.5 million
• Clubs played for – Dinamo Zagreb, Tottenahm, Real Madrid
• Achievements – Trophy winner in Croatia & Spain, World Cup runner up, Ballon d’Or winner
#3 Wayne Rooney
Rooney wasn’t desperately poor during his childhood, but his story shows that those leaving in some of the most deprived estates in the UK can make it. Surrounded by a life of drugs, guns and gangs, and with his father suffering unemployment from time to time, the world around Rooney was far from what he has now. However, despite that he concentrated on football, and would grow up to become a teenage hero at nearby Goodison Park, where he kickstarted his career.
• Current net worth – $160 million
• Clubs played for – Everton, Manchester United, DC United
• Achievements – Multiple trophy winner in England including Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, Europa League & Club World Cup
#2 Luis Suarez
A hero in Uruguay, but things didn’t start out too well for Luis Suarez at a young age. He began playing football without any shoes on the streets of Salto before moving to capital Montevideo when he was seven due to his father’s unemployment. With six siblings, things had to be shared around the family and this meant if Suarez was lucky enough to get shoes to play football in, they were handed down to him, a far cry from the sponsorship and boot deals he has now.
Suarez is currently trying hard to win another title with his club Barcelona, and their race against Real Madrid for the title is attracting a lot of attention. This includes from punters, who are logging onto betting sites such as those listed on newbettingsites.uk to place bets on where they think the Spanish title will go.
• Current net worth – $70 million
• Clubs played for – Nacional, Groningen, Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona
• Achievements – Trophy winner in Uruguay, Holland, England and Spain. Copa America winner with Uruguay.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo was born on the island of Madeira, a popular tourist destination but a place with little else going for it. He shared a room with three of his siblings, spent birthdays and Christmases with little or nothing, and this was the life he was expected to lead. However, when signing for Manchester United in 2003, he stepped foot on a plane for the first time and changed his life forever.
• Current net worth – $460 million
• Best salaries – $64 million plus endorsement fees
• Clubs played for – Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus
• Achievements – Trophy winner in Portugal, England, Spain and Italy. European Championship & Nations League winner with Portugal. Multiple Ballon d’Or winner, Fifa World Player of the Year winner plus many more individual awards.
