Ricardo Ade's improbable rise to stardom

From sleeping on the streets of Thailand to becoming one of the best center-backs in South America: This is the story of Haiti's Ricardo Ade’s improbable rise to stardom.

Born in Saint-Marc, Haiti in 1990, the odds were totally stacked against young Ricardo’s aspiration to become a professional footballer. The lack of infrastructure, extreme poverty, and political instability made things very difficult for him from the get-go.

But Adé was a stubborn dreamer, and thanks to the support of his parents he was soon playing for local side Baltimore SC, making his debut at only 17.

His good performances at the Ligue Haïtienne quickly caught the eye of a supposed agent, who offered Adé the opportunity of playing in the Thai league. So, he used up his life’s savings to buy a plane ticket and head to the other side of the world… only to find out that it was all a fraud.

Ricardo stayed in Thailand for 3 months suffering discrimination, eating only one meal a day, and sometimes having to sleep on the streets. No local club would hire him.

But he finally managed to come back to our side of the world, playing for NPSL’s Miami United thanks to his tourist visa. Once it expired, he moved back to Haiti to play some CONCACAF football with Don Bosco.

However, it was precisely that stint in Miami that would change his life forever, as it was there that the Nasur family, owners of Santiago Morning in the Chilean second tier, first witnessed his talent.

They would soon take him to Chile, where he would sign the first pro contract of his career at age 27.

Ricardo shined at the Andean nation, but without any possibilities of signing for a first division team, he moved to Ecuador with Serie A minnows Mushuc Runa.

From that point on, his ascent was meteoric. He moved to Aucas and was important as they won the first title in their history.

From there, he jumped to Liga de Quito, the biggest team in Ecuador. And in 2023, Adé won both the Copa Sudamericana and the Serie A, being chosen as part of the Best XI in both tournaments and considered the best defender of Ecuadorian football.

Despite all the obstacles that life put in front of him, Adé managed to become more than a professional footballer. He became the pride of his nation.

Ricardo Adé is a living and breathing example that hard work matters, and that roses can always grow from concrete.