Life is a miracle.We’ve witnessed it numerous times, especially in sports. And every once in a while, we bump into those jaw-dropping life stories of the underdogs that challenged destiny and made larger-than-life achievements. Youssouf Fofana of French Ligue 1 side AS Monaco is not an exception at all. The 23-year-old midfielder of Malian descent will be a part of Didier Deschamps’ 25-man Les Bleus squad for the FIFA World Cup.Youssouf Fofana (@YFofana19_ ) 🇫🇷 2022/23 – Road To World Cup pic.twitter.com/3xa9cRnCnN— Munegu Médias 👋🇮🇩 (@MuneguComps) October 31, 2022 But unlike almost every other player of the defending world champions, Fofana has had a bumpy road to reach these heights. To put it mildly.Youssouf, born in Paris in January 1999, tried his luck at the much-praised Clairefontaine football academy, which has been a hotbed of the finest French prodigies for decades. Henry, Trezeguet, and Anelka, to name a few…The world champions reveal their cards: Deschamps takes 25 players to Qatar!However, Fofana was written off there at the age of 15. He was forced to return to amateur football and struggled both on and off the pitch to reach where he is today.”I went from the bus that picked me up at Clairefontaine and dropped me off at the college to the metro, which should not be missed because it was not waiting for me,” explained Fofana in one of some recent interviews.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Gradually rediscovering a taste for football, Youssouf Fofana has also regained a high level of play. But at the same time, he saw his Clairefontaine friends Moussa Diaby and Amine Harit break into the professional world. Not enough to arouse jealousy in him, but it did affect the financial aspect of things. “The thing that stuck in my mind was when they came back on vacation, and you simply had to ‘follow’ them. You had to find a reasonably well-paid job. Well, and it was a little more complicated (laughs). So I delivered pizzas. It’s anecdotal, it lasted a few months, but I like to remember it. It allows me to keep my feet on the ground.”##NAJAVA_MECA_6798262##Then the circumstances and his lucky star allowed Youssouf Fofana to launch his playing career. The moment when he decided to stop football to devote himself to his studies, he came to a fantastic opportunity.”I said I’m quitting. I’m concentrating on my studies. But suddenly, I started playing in team one of JA Drancy (fourth-tier). And I got spotted by Strasbourg! I signed with them in February 2017. The rest is history”.And not just history, we say, but a wonderful story yet to be written. Never give up on your dreams. You never know if Deschamps will maybe put you on his special list for the World Cup.
