According to Mundo Deportivo, Côte d'Ivoire's 19-year-old forward Jan Diomande posted a message mourning his 15-year-old sister who passed away.
Diomande performed outstandingly in Côte d'Ivoire's 1-0 victory over Ecuador in their FIFA World Cup debut, becoming one of the highlights of the match. A few days later, the young attacker, who plays for RB Leipzig and previously played for Leganés, published a poignant letter in The Players' Tribune, mourning his 15-year-old sister, Roxanne, who passed away.
In the letter, Diomande wrote: "Dear Roxanne." He recalled their beautiful childhood despite the difficulties: "Do you remember, someone bought me a fake Manchester United jersey, and I wrote Ronaldo's number 7 on the back with a black marker. We didn't know if we were rich or poor, we only knew happiness."
Diomande continued: "Do you remember, in Abidjan, 25 people slept in one room. Mom wanted to watch soap operas, and others wanted to watch movies. Do you remember how I pretended to be asleep, and then ran to the living room after midnight? I turned the TV volume very low, only two bars. I watched football in the dark, and then dreamed."
He also wrote: "Do you remember, after I got my first real football boots, I slept with them. As a child, I always played football in those white plastic sandals. Even now when I go home, I still play in them. This is our tradition."
Diomande also specifically remembered his sister's advice to him: "Do you remember, every time I came home, you would say to my friends in the neighborhood: 'Why don't you keep training? Yann won't buy you a car. You have to keep working hard.' You were only 10 years old then, but you were already my agent."
The Abidjan-born Côte d'Ivoire attacker also revealed that before becoming a professional player, he went through many trials and challenges. It was a path full of rejections, and his sister was key to him not giving up.
Diomande wrote: "Do you remember, I went for trials at Bournemouth, Chelsea, Rangers, Olympiacos, and Crystal Palace? Even Eze and Olise came over to me after a training session and said: 'Hey, kid, you're really good.' But they still didn't sign me. Even the MLS B team didn't want me. I don't even know why; they never gave me a reason."
He continued: "Adults handled everything. They took me all over Europe, but everyone kept saying no. My visa expired, my dream ended. They sent me back to Africa, and we cried together. It was you who never stopped believing in me."
Until he arrived in Madrid: "A few weeks later, I signed with Leganés. That time we shed different tears. I still had emotions then. Now I feel nothing. It's like I'm no longer human. Since you passed away, my heart is empty."
Diomande recalled the moment he learned of his sister's death: "I don't even remember shedding a single tear the day they told me you were gone. I was just in shock. That was a few weeks after my Leganés debut. Who makes their debut against Real Madrid at 18? That was crazy, a dream come true. Then it became a nightmare."
He wrote: "Someone kept calling me from my hometown. I was annoyed; I didn't understand why they kept calling me. I answered the phone, and they weren't even delicate about it. You know how it is at home, no emotions, just: 'Your sister is gone.' What? 'She's dead.' What are you talking about? 'Someone put something in her drink at a party, and she never woke up. She passed away.' You were only 15, 15."
That's how Diomande learned of his sister's death—through a phone call.
Diomande wrote: "I'm writing this because I can't talk about it. I'm writing this because I want you to know that I will make sure your memory lives on. I will make sure everyone knows your name; the whole world will know. Everything I do on the football field is for you."
This season, Diomande has scored 13 goals for RB Leipzig. Now, at 19, he is realizing his dream of participating in the FIFA World Cup. He stated that his goal in football is to become the best in the world, to prove his sister was right.
Diomande wrote: "We are going to the FIFA World Cup tomorrow, local time. Really. Your brother will represent Côte d'Ivoire, just like Drogba, Yaya Touré, and Gervinho. I don't even see it as a game; I see it as a stage. This is my chance to show the world what you saw in me."
He concluded by writing: "Every time I score, I will make sure everyone knows your name. I will make sure they don't forget you. You always said I could be better than Ronaldo. If I meet him there, I will say hello for you. I will do what you predicted; I swear to you. Even before I had real boots, you were already telling everyone: 'My brother will be the best player in the world.' I will prove you right, or die trying. Your brother, Yann."