Soccer star's letter to younger brother about overcoming poverty is winning the internet

Regardless of whatever success we may find in our lives, it's always important to remember the obstacles we had to overcome to get there. Doing so instills a sense of humility and reaffirms our goals in the long run, preventing us from getting lost in success. Brazilian professional footballer Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa, more commonly known as Endrick, sent an inspiring letter to his younger brother, Noah, after he learned that the latter would play for the famed Spanish club Real Madrid this year. Excerpts from the letter have been shared on X by @FootballTalkHQ, where it has amassed 10.9K views and 227 likes.

The entire letter has been put up in The Players Tribune and is titled "Letter to My Brother." Endrick starts by saying that he loves his little brother dearly. He moved on to narrate how his brother had been born at the same time he had scored a goal. Endrick reflects on this most profoundly, saying, "You see? In our family, we weren't born into wealth. We were born into football." The young player shared that he was going to play with Real Madrid soon and that the 4-year-old boy's life would be changing quickly.

Endrick also revealed to Noah how his family had humble beginnings before he was born. Despite all of the difficulties his family faced, he states that he had an "amazing childhood," thanks to all the sacrifices their parents made, from his mother staying with him during his initial days of training at Palmeiras and somehow finding ways to feed him, to his dad doing everything he could to send as much money as he could. Thankfully, all their sacrifices were not in vain, as Endrick eventually became a professional player with Palmeiras and was able to move his family to a safer location.

Now that he would be playing for Real Madrid, Endrick would be able to provide a much better life for his family. And now he wanted his brother to have the freedom to pursue his dreams. He writes, "For three generations, and maybe more, our family has chased the dream of football. We have been trying to change our circumstances. But now you can do whatever you want. You can be a doctor or lawyer, or maybe since we are going to Spain, the country of Nadal and Alcaraz, you can become a professional tennis player."

Endrick hints that Noah could become a footballer but there was no pressure on him. He wholesomely states, "You just enjoy your life how you want, brother. That is my gift to you." The letter is a poignant and heartfelt recollection of a young aspiring player's struggles and how he overcame all odds to reach where he is now. It concludes with him saying, "I hope you understand now, brother. The life we are living right now did not come out of nowhere. It was earned with hard work and a lot of tears."