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As is the case with many players who rose from humble beginnings to become stars of world football, the story of Alexis Sanchez (No. 29 in ESPN's World Fame 100 rankings) is a moving one. At the same time, it serves as a yardstick and an example to youngsters who see the sport as their ticket to a brighter future. Sanchez, who was born in Tocopilla, Chile, on Dec. 19, 1988, played football with a ball made from rags and washed cars to earn money to help his mother during his poverty-stricken upbringing. However, his football talent saw Sanchez's career progress on an upward trajectory. From Chile he made the move to Argentina, then on to Italy and Spain before securing a switch to England, where he is currently one of the stars of the ultracompetitive Premier League and is arguably in the best form of his stellar career. This form saw him score 24 EPL goals for Arsenal this season. In 2015, his three-goal game for Arsenal gave him hat tricks in three of Europe's strongest leagues -- Italy's Serie A, Spain's La Liga and the Premier League -- a feat no other player has accomplished. Alongside his goal-scoring threat, his dribbling at pace and ability in one-on-one situations have made Sanchez one of the biggest stars in English and European football. Unfortunately, his contribution was not enough for Arsenal to qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League. Will that dictate whether he remains at the London club next season? There is no doubt that players like him do not grow on trees, which is why he already is being linked with a summer move to a European giant keen to secure his services such as Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Juventus and Paris-Saint Germain. He is, of course, also a key member of the Chilean national side and is considered one of the country's greatest players of all time. Sanchez has been a key part of this unforgettable era for La Roja, which saw Chile win its first two Copa America titles, both on penalties and both against Leo Messi's Argentina, no less. On home soil in 2015, he scored the decisive PK to end Chile's 99-year wait to lift the Copa America. The following year, in the United States, he scored three goals as Chile retained the title and was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. He is currently tied with another legend in Marcelo Salas as Chile's top career scorer with 37 goals, and he no doubt has one eye on taking the outright lead. Chile still have four games left in the South American qualifiers in 2017, where they will look to once again secure their place at the World Cup. They currently sit in fourth place in the South American standings and will seal an automatic berth for Russia 2018 if they don't fall lower. Sanchez has acquired a taste for winning trophies with most of the clubs he has played for: Colo-Colo in Chile, River Plate in Argentina, Barcelona in Spain and Arsenal in England. His next goal is to take part in his third World Cup, following his experiences at South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014. At the age of 28, the wonder boy of Chilean football still has a lot to offer. Fabio Dana is based in Buenos Aires and covers football for ESPN Argentina.
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