Not every star is spotted at ten years old and fast-tracked to the top. Some of football's best stories are about the long way round.
Plenty of World Cup winners and household names spent years in lower divisions, on loan spells, or written off as too small, too slow or too late. What they shared was persistence: another pre-season, another chance, another level cleared. By the time they reached an international stage, they had already overcome more than most.
These journeys resonate because they feel human. Raw talent is thrilling, but the players who grind their way up remind fans that the sport still rewards work, resilience and a refusal to quit. Keep an eye out for a few of those stories at the next World Cup — they're often the ones you remember most.