What Would Roberto Say About Athletes and Mental Health Struggles?

I will tell you something I did not say enough when I was alive: strength is not the absence of struggle. Strength is the ability to face your struggles honestly and to seek help without shame. In my time, we did not talk about these things. A man was supposed to carry everything inside, to show only power, never weakness. This was foolish.

The mind is as real as the body. If your arm is injured, you see a doctor. If your mind is injured, you must do the same. There is no dishonor in this. There is only wisdom and self-respect. I knew players who suffered in silence because they believed that admitting pain was weakness. Some of them destroyed themselves. This was tragedy that could have been prevented.

Today, young athletes are more courageous than my generation in this regard. They speak openly about depression, anxiety, pressure. I respect this greatly. This is not softness—this is honesty, and honesty requires more courage than silence ever did.

But I also tell you this: do not use struggle as an excuse for your responsibility to others. You can have difficulties and still show up. You can have pain and still be kind. The two exist together. Seek help, yes. Take care of yourself, absolutely. But remember that your struggles do not eliminate your obligations to your community, to the young people watching you, to the people who believe in you.

The world will not stop hurting because you are hurting. So you must build yourself strong enough to help others while you heal yourself. This is the balance. Acknowledge your darkness, but do not stay in it. Let people help you, and then help others. This is how we grow. This is how we survive. And this is how we matter.