Former Pro Soccer Player Tsubasa Endo Overcomes Leukemia, Starts New Chapter in Italy
Tsubasa Endo, a 32-year-old former professional soccer player from Chiba Prefecture, Japan, has embarked on a new path in Italy after successfully battling acute undifferentiated leukemia. Endo, who once played for clubs in Canada, Australia, and the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS, was diagnosed with cancer in 2022 at age 29 while training in Los Angeles. Initially mistaking symptoms for heatstroke, he faced a harrowing journey involving intense chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant, and prolonged isolation due to compromised immunity. Despite the physical and emotional toll, which left his memories of that period hazy, Endo maintained a resilient mindset, choosing to accept his reality rather than dwell on the past. After putting his promising athletic career on hold to focus on recovery, he has now moved to Italy to pursue new opportunities. His story highlights the transition from being a touted next-generation talent in Japanese soccer to becoming a symbol of perseverance against life-threatening illness, demonstrating how he redefined his future after overcoming significant health challenges.
Wire timeline
Former Pro Soccer Player Tsubasa Endo Overcomes Leukemia, Starts New Chapter in Italy
Tsubasa Endo, a 32-year-old former professional soccer player from Chiba Prefecture, Japan, has embarked on a new path in Italy after successfully battling acute undifferentiated leukemia. Endo, who once played for clubs in Canada, Australia, and the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS, was diagnosed with cancer in 2022 at age 29 while training in Los Angeles. Initially mistaking symptoms for heatstroke, he faced a harrowing journey involving intense chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant, and prolonged isolation due to compromised immunity. Despite the physical and emotional toll, which left his memories of that period hazy, Endo maintained a resilient mindset, choosing to accept his reality rather than dwell on the past. After putting his promising athletic career on hold to focus on recovery, he has now moved to Italy to pursue new opportunities. His story highlights the transition from being a touted next-generation talent in Japanese soccer to becoming a symbol of perseverance against life-threatening illness, demonstrating how he redefined his future after overcoming significant health challenges.
asahi