The Argentine warrior had to take care of his family since he was a child. His father and older brother passed away, and he only had football to help them survive. When it seemed that he was going to fulfill his dream in Europe, he was diagnosed with a serious heart disease.
Ángel Correa is an Argentine footballer who plays as a midfielder for Atlético de Madrid. He is one of the popular strikers in his country, but to get to where he is now, he has had to face many difficulties including deaths in his family, poverty, and illness.
Correa was born on March 9, 1995 in Rosario, Argentina. He grew up with his nine siblings in one of Santa Fe's poorest districts. "My neighborhood was a messed-up place. I lost several friends to bullets for being in places where they shouldn’t have been," he said a few years ago in an interview. The life of the Argentine had always been linked to the street, and he began to play football on it.
When he was 10 years old, he would experience the worst time of his life. Correa lost his father, a painful blow to a poor family that was left without the main breadwinner of the house. He had to take care of his family as a child. All the money that he earned from football, he gave to his mother so they could buy food. Such harsh realities changed his life completely and made him mature in every possible way. "The income I had from playing football was the only thing that was able to feed my brothers, my mom and me. A representative gave me a salary and I gave it to my family," he told El País.
Two years later, his older brother died, dealing yet another major blow to their home. Correa did not have the notion of being the 'father’ of the family, but he had to assume that role. "At that time, I didn't see it as a responsibility, I just enjoyed playing football. They gave me some help for my family and that made me happy," said the young man.
In 2012, he began his professional career at San Lorenzo de Almagro, one of the most important clubs in Argentina. On March 31, 2013, he debuted against Newell's. On May 11, he scored his first goal against Boca Juniors in a very important match. In the country’s Initial Tournament in 2013, he established himself as a starter among the forwards of the Argentine team. He managed to help them win the trophy and added his first title to his list of achievements.
In 2014, he began to stand out for his fighting spirit and his precision, while San Lorenzo advanced in the Copa Libertadores. On May 26 of that same year, in the middle of the tournament, Atlético de Madrid signed the striker for €7 million without getting 100% of the rights to the player. The board of the Argentine club managed to make arrangements so that Correa could play for the semifinals and the final game. The team won the prestigious South American title and he was named to the Ideal XI. In his time at the Argentine club, he scored 12 goals and contributed 17 assists in 58 games.
When he underwent a medical examination upon joining Atleti, doctors found a heart abnormality- a cyst in the ventricle. He had open-heart surgery in the United States, a risky operation that could end his life. "I knew I was going to have surgery but all I thought about was recovering to play again soon. I was excited, I had just arrived at Atletico, I wanted to be able to debut at the Calderon," he said. The operation was successful.
After many years of overcoming hurdles, he would begin his outstanding stint with Atlético de Madrid. During the first year, he was still in rehabilitation and Atleti had yet to make his signing official. In the 2015-16 season, Correa debuted in a friendly in August against Numancia where he scored his first goal. On September 19, he made his first official goal through Fernando Torres. His style of playing was reminiscent of that of Kun Agüero. From day one, a love affair was born between Correa and the fans of Atleti.
On October 30, he fulfilled another dream- to play in the Champions League. In his first appearance he scored a goal against Benfica. After a couple of seasons adapting to the team's game, in 2017-18, Atleti won the UEFA Europa League with Correa playing a major role in the victory. They also became champion of the European Super Cup against Real Madrid.
Correa also achieved his dream of playing with the Argentine National Team. He first played with them in September 2015, when he was 20 years old. He has not been the most important player of the National Team, but he has played a total of 22 games in which he scored three goals. He has the ability to galvanize the team, and his presence can be very important in the World Cup.
In the 20/21 season, he won LaLiga with Atlético de Madrid, scoring a goal in the last game where the trophy was at stake. In this campaign, he became the warrior of Cholo, scoring eight goals and delivering nine assists. He is undoubtedly a fundamental player in the squad. In that same year he won the Copa America with Argentina. He did not play too many minutes but was an integral part of the team.
The Argentine has scored 62 goals and contributed 54 assists in his 343 games for Atleti. On his way to becoming a legend, Correa has shown that every bit of effort has its reward. He overcame the loss of family members, poverty, and his heart problems. Nothing was able to prevent Correa from achieving his dream of being a professional football player and being able to provide a new life for his family.
