In the midst of the World Cup maelstrom, everyone has their eyes on one place: the players who wear the national jersey. In their own countries, and also around the world, everyone wants to see them play.
They are the scorers, and those who bear the joys and sorrows of their peoples during this month. But… What is behind his goals?
We tell you some super fun curiosities about them, so you can discover that behind those great idols there are people like you.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese striker is one of the most famous in the world. His soccer prowess meets his charisma, making him one of the most acclaimed soccer players in the world.
But as sure of himself as he looks, Cristiano has had a hard life. He was born into a humble family and his father always had problems with alcohol, which caused his death in 2005.
Later, his brother also had problems with drugs and alcohol. Cristiano spent a lot of money to help him, although in the end, it was with football that he really made it. Cristiano made his brother promise that if Real Madrid won the Champions League final against Atlético de Madrid, he would give up alcohol.
Ronaldo’s team prevailed, and Cristiano gave his brother his champion’s jersey, thus sealing the promise.
2. Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez
The Mexican Chicharito is a real gem for his fellow citizens. This is the third world championship he has played, and in 2010 he took the title of fastest player in the tournament registering almost 32 kilometers per hour.
What is striking about Chicharito Hernández is that he has surpassed two generations that preceded him: both his father and grandfather were soccer players, and at some point in their history they wore the national jersey.
However, the son of “Chícharo” is, to this day, the top scorer in the history of the Mexican team, with 45 goals to his credit.
However, he does not compete: his father and grandfather are actually his teachers. In fact, he wears the 14 jersey in honor of his father who wore it before him.
3. Luis Suarez
The player from “la celeste” has been scoring goals in 3 world cups, and is another world figure. But like Cristiano Ronaldo, and many other soccer players, He had a humble childhood. He was born in a small Uruguayan town, Santos, and they had very little money.
His mother revealed that, when he was little, he only had a pair of sneakers that were for going to school. Since she wouldn’t let him play soccer with those shoes, he went barefoot: anything before he missed a game.
Maybe that’s where he gets his fierce personality. In any case, when he was very young he tried out in Montevideo, and managed to stay thanks to his ability to score goals. “I took it one day at night and they told me that they had already made the selection. But Maxi, the brother, ended up convincing the coach by assuring him that Luis was a great scorer. ‘Ah, does he score goals? Well, let’s try it. Bring it on Thursday and we’ll see, but I can’t assure you of anything’”.
And boy did he score goals!
4. Neymar da Silva Santos Jr.
Brazil has given many great soccer players, but Neymar is today the star of the sport in the Rio de Janeiro country. At 26, he is already ranked number 3 among the top scorers for the Brazilian team, so it is not surprising that he will move to number 1 in a few years.
However, in his spare time Neymar loves to party and play poker. This last “hobby” is so important to him that he called his dog the name of the gamewho also has his own Instagram (@poker_thedog) that has almost 70,000 followers.
Besides, Neymar is multifaceted. He loves the night, but also spending time inside watching his favorite series and playing video games. And, as if that were not enough, he has also dedicated himself to acting: He has appeared in soap operas for Rede Globo, in video clips, and has even acted alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Vin Diesel in the movie ‘xXx Reactivated’.
5. Lionel Messi
The Argentine Lionel “the flea” Messi is considered the best player in the world. Despite this, he has a very low profile. Those who have known him since he was little assure that he was a very shy and withdrawn child.
This may be due to the huge growing problems that he had, and from which Barcelona helped him out, paying for his expensive treatments. Although the way in which the team achieved the contract is very curious.
After seeing him play at the age of 12, and discovering his talent, the team didn’t want to let him get away; so they made him sign his first contract on a napkin. Today, that contract is exhibited in the Barça museum.
At present, Messi has a fairly quiet life off the pitch. In fact, so calm that she gets bored very easily: Nothing entertains him too much, neither the series, nor the books. Just a little video games.
For this reason, perhaps Messi’s secret to being a great player is a bit strange: sleep more hours a day than anyone. Every day after his training he takes long naps.
After all… Nobody gets bored when they sleep!
Sources:
abc
Sport
Sports world
Aweita