He was the next Pelé, he thought he was better than Di María, but his career ended in nothing: who is Freddy Adu

footballthe sport that fascinates millions around the world, saw great stars establish themselves as legends, from Pelé to Lionel Messi. But not all talented players achieve the expected success. The story of Freddy Adu, A young promise is an example of those careers that promised a lot and ended in oblivion.

Adu went from being a youth phenomenon to seeing his career fade over time. At only 14 years old, he already had a million-dollar contract and a career that seemed assured. However, expectations, team changes and distractions worked against him, bringing his story to an unexpected end.

The successful start of Freddy Adu

Born in Ghana In 1989, Freddy began playing football at a young age, demonstrating outstanding ability in his country’s youth teams. His talent quickly attracted attention, and at the age of 8 he was already playing for the team. Potomac Cougars, facing older players. At the age of 13, Adu emigrated to USA, where his sporting career officially began to take shape.

With a talent superior to his peers of the same category, Adu soon entered the United States Olympic Development Program, which allowed him to participate in international youth tournaments. He stood out so much in these championships that, in a short time, European teams began to be interested in him. He Inter Milan He even offered a significant sum for his services, but his mother rejected the proposal, preferring that her son be trained in the United States.

In 2003, the young man was called up for the U-17 World Cupwhere he shocked the audience with his performance. His skill attracted so much attention that PeleAfter meeting him, he commented that Adu He had a natural talent for football. At the age of 14, he signed his first professional contract with the DC United in MLSbreaking the record as the youngest player to sign a professional contract in the American league. MLS even changed its minimum age rules to allow Adu to be selected in the draft.

Besides, Nike offered him a sponsorship contract a million dollarsfigures reserved for stars like Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan. His international career began in 2006, when he debuted with the United States senior team in a friendly against Canada.

Although he managed to score in several of his first games, his performance on the field did not meet the high expectations that had been placed on him. After three seasons at DC United, in which he played 84 games and scored 18 goals, Adu was transferred to Royal Salt Lake, looking for a change that would boost his career.

At 16 years old, the athlete made the jump to Europesigning with the Benfica from Portugala team that saw in him a future star. However, his stay at the club was turbulent. According to what he said years later, he had three coaches in one year, which did not allow him to establish himself in the team. After a series of loans to different clubs in Europe, including Monaco, Belenenses, Aris Thessaloniki and Rizespor, Adu saw how his performance began to decline.

How Freddy Adu’s career ended

After passing through numerous teams without being able to establish himself, the footballer returned to the United States to play for the Philadelphia Union. Despite a promising start, his performance stagnated and he lost the title again. At the age of 22, after a decade in professional football, Freddy Adu trained on a trial basis at the Rayo Vallecano from Spain, an attempt to recover his career that did not materialize.

In recent years, Adu was forced to accept contracts in lower-level leagues, including the Österlen FF of Sweden, and alternating periods of inactivity. Today, the one who was called “the next Pele“Looks back on his career with nostalgia, acknowledging: “For me, having been part of the history of soccer in the United States is incredible.”