While a garbage collector was an immigrant, he became a football star: Who is N'Golo Kante?

After his 7-year Chelsea adventure, N'Golo was transferred to Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad team (2023).

The cup won for the French was rising in the hands of immigrant football players, and at that time, another immigrant was inspired by this image.

France would have to wait 20 years for their next World Cup victory. How that 7-year-old immigrant child grew up and presented the cup to the French...

Let's take a look at N'Golo Kante's story from garbage collector to football star.

N'Golo Kanté (born 29 March 1991) is a French professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad and the France national team. Known for his work rate and defensive acumen, he has been cited as one of the best midfielders of his generation.

Everyone knows the great technique and hard work of Chelsea's star midfielder, but his life story is not just about football... N'Golo Kante was born on March 29, 1991 in Paris, France. His family immigrated to France from Mali (West Africa) in 1980. He was born as the eldest of four brothers and sisters.

His father passed away when he was a child, so he grew up with a sense of responsibility from a very young age. The death of his father left Kante's mother with a heavy parenting burden...

Realizing the value of work from an early age, Kante saw this path as the only key to success in life. He had no other choice anyway...

Growing up in Rueil Malmaison, a small and crowded suburban area close to Paris, the star of Chelsea was working as a garbage collector, while his mother was trying to support her children by working as a cleaner.

Kante, a garbage collector, would walk for miles in the eastern suburbs of Paris to find all kinds of valuable waste... He was trying to make money by delivering what he found to small recycling companies.

However, knowing that this job would not save his family from poverty, Kante began to look for different alternatives for himself and his family.

As the 1998 World Cup continued France's victory, Kante improved his financial situation by making more money from the garbage left around the stadium by football fans. While the tournament revived the country's tourist activity, it opened the door of a lifetime for N'Golo Kante.

What Kante witnessed at the 1998 World Cup was a completely different France. As victory came to Paris, the cup was being lifted from the hands of the immigrants. Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane, Patrick Viera, Lilian Thuram and Marcel Desailly...

While there was a turning point for French football, the participation of immigrants in football was also increasing. N'Golo Kante also saw a future for himself after the 1998 World Cup.

8-year-old Kante realized that a football academy had opened near his home and wanted to further his life in this direction.

It didn't take long for his aspirations to become a reality when he started his career at JS Suresnes in the western suburbs of Paris.

After signing up for the club, Kante was recognized by his teammates as the smallest and most focused young star. At first, his friends wondered where he came from and whether he could last long in the field due to his short stature and appearance.

It was thanks to Kante's influence that his team started winning trophies. But while his teammates were celebrating, he stayed outside and watched from a distance.

After spending 4 years at the club, Kante started to grow and entered a period in which his personality and career became clear. Kante's maturity even earned him a job at an academy. He joined a select team of young stars tasked with educating young children.

A few years later, with his hard work and good nature, he was transferred to Boulogne, where he played between 2010 and 2012.

Then came the 2018 World Cup with Caen, Leicester City, Chelsea, and France, and the 2021 Champions League victory with Chelsea, taking his career to completely new levels. A child inspired by the cup taken away from immigrants in the 1998 World Cup brought victory to France after twenty years.

Loyalty, modesty, hard work... Undoubtedly, N'Golo Kante combines many of the qualities a woman would look for. But the Chelsea star is apparently alone and focused on his career. There were rumors that the 30-year-old actress was dating 46-year-old Jude Littler.

While Kante was hard-working and successful, he also lived a modest life. He earned £120,000 a week, but instead of those flashy cars, he commuted to training in his Mini Cooper.

After his 7-year Chelsea adventure, N'Golo was transferred to Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad team (2023).