Footballers Describe Their Mothers’ Impact on Their Personal and Professional Growth
In the exciting world of football games, everyone is usually focused on players’ skills, appearances, performances, and achievements on the field. But the truth is that behind many successful players stands the hero that you would never think about – mama. Beyond the whole scope of glamour and glitz of the universe of football, the influence of caring and loving mothers plays a crucial part in shaping both the professional and personal growth of players. Below, we will focus on the most famous footballers and peek into their family stories and how their moms stood as pillars of strength and hope in their sports journeys.
Cristiano Ronaldo
When the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was 20 years old, he lost his father. This means that Cristiano’s dad did not see the most striking achievements of his extra-talented son. However, that was that caring woman – Maria Dolores – Cristiano’s mother, who supported him no matter what. According to multiple reports, the woman was considering abortion; however, she decided to keep the baby.
When the boy was 14 years old, Maria supported him as he decided to quit school in order to dive deep into the niche of football. Needless to say, that decision turned the boy’s world upside-down. If you ever need to describe your mother, it’s hard to do it better than the boy from the poor Madeira family does.
In his interview, the world-famous footballer said, “My mother reared me up by sacrificing her life for me. She went to bed hungry to feed me. We had no money. She worked 7 days a week and worked nights as a cleaner to buy me a pair of soccer boots, so I could play football.”
Lionel Messi
If you’re a huge football fan, there’s no doubt you have seen Messi’s mother Celia together with his wife Antonella at multiple tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup. Taking into account the fact that his father works as his agent, people usually pay attention to him since he’s more available to the public. But the reality is that Celia has been standing behind the success of her son from the very beginning.
When Messi was younger, he had a serious disease that was the main cause of his stunted growth. Thanks to Barcelona who offered to pay for the medical treatment, the young talent had an opportunity to enter the football arena. That’s when his parents decided to move to Spain to provide their son with a chance to enjoy his vocation.
After winning the FIFA World Cup, Messi was hugged and kissed by his mom while she was crying. Lionel, in turn, has unconditional love for his mother. The player loves this sweet woman more than he loves his wife. He has so much love for the woman who gave birth to him that he got a tattoo of her on his shoulder. Being a very obedient son, Messi always puts this woman above all.
Marcus Rashford
The star player shining brightly in the ManUTD club never hesitates to talk about his mom, Melanie. This beautiful and loving woman sacrificed herself to make sure that her boy would achieve all of the dreams he had on the field. The woman raised the future star together with his four siblings.
Melanie had a minimum salary and no support from the kid’s father, which means the family had to figure out how to get football scholarship or funds for regular training sessions. In his interview for MEN, Marcus Rashford said, “She lived the struggle. That is why it means the world to me that she is happy now and she is right next to me with everything that I do. She believes as strongly as I do that things need to change. When there have been setbacks she’s the first person to ring me to say “Don’t worry, keep going!”
Eden Hazard
Perhaps, Eden Hazard is not facing the easiest moments in his career at the moment; however, the football player is one of the most talented starts on the field. According to the interview in the Independent, it was his mom Carine who instilled his love of football. She was a successful striker who didn’t stop playing women’s football even when she was three months pregnant with the future football guru.
Eden mentions that time in his interview, “I was in her stomach when she was playing. She was three months pregnant. I take after my mum as a player. My dad played at the back, chilled out, calm on the ball. My mum was a striker. I never watched Mum play but I can remember going to see my dad play. Actually, I like to think that I am a mix of the best of them.”
As you can see, the influence of the mother on the professional and personal growth of brilliant football players is simply significant. From instilling values of determination, and fostering a passion for the game to supporting in times of failure, moms play an important role in shaping their kid’s character traits and careers.
As football icons keep on dazzling us on the field, it is crucial to celebrate not only their achievements but also the limitless commitment of those beautiful women who are real heroes ready to sacrifice and love their talented children beyond any limits.