It is not uncommon for some of the world’s biggest and best-ever stars to end their careers outside Europe’s top five leagues. Ronaldo was certainly not the first. Pele, Johan Cruyff, and Franz Beckenbauer did it, too. Here’s why.
Cristiano Ronaldo made headlines recently when the 37-year-old sent shock waves worldwide by signing with the Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr. His move continues a trend of older players seeking greener pastures during the interim years before retirement.
So, let’s examine various leagues worldwide and discuss why players move there. You can also find the latest spread betting odds on football worldwide.
Chinese Super League
The attraction to play outside of Europe’s top leagues is not solely based on elite players coming to the end of their careers. Instead, some head elsewhere when still at the peak of their careers.
Chelsea’s Oscar did so when he moved to Shanghai Port at the end of 2016, aged 25. The main reason for this was financial, with him earning a reported salary of £400,000, making him the highest-paid footballer in the world at the time. Of course, many may see this as the Brazilian ‘selling out.’ Still, Oscar believed it was the best decision for his family, and the monumental wages meant he would sacrifice his footballing career to put his family’s future first. Within this, Oscar himself admitted that he wasn’t doing the best for his career, so the quality of the league and playing standard did not come into play.
Ezequiel Lavezzi finished his career in China after a fruitful career in Europe with Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain. Having signed for Hebei China Fortune in 2016, Lavezzi left Europe’s top five leagues aged 30, meaning he was at a different stage of his career than Oscar. Nevertheless, the financial opportunity for Lavezzi was too much to turn down, with the Argentine earning a reported £40 million a year in Asia.
Ezequiel Lavezzi (photo courtesy Daily Star)
The Chinese Super League has long been a destination for some of Europe’s biggest names, but that trend seems to be heading downward, and players have started to head to the Middle East instead for a financial windfall at the end of their careers.
Saudi Pro League
Ronaldo switched to Saudi Arabia this January as he stunned the globe with a huge deal. The money on offer for the Portuguese star is supposedly around £62 million yearly, before bonuses. According to CBS Sports, the 37-year-old is expected to earn over double that figure. However, when considering commercial deals and image rights.
The Middle East has seen a sharp rise in its footballing status, particularly after the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Now that Ronaldo has joined the Saudi Pro League, it is expected to continue to grow further. Paris Saint-Germain went up against Al Nassr and Al Hilal all-stars recently in a friendly match as Lionel Messi and Ronaldo went head-to-head again. The two global icons got on the score sheet as the French champions ran out 5-4 winners.
Although it was just a friendly match, it shows the intent of the Middle East to grow the game, and the money on offer is undoubtedly helping the cause. But, most importantly, the picture of Messi lifting the World Cup trophy while wearing a bisht could be one of the most significant images in history to help grow the game in the Middle East.
https://youtu.be/Du13o51PpKQ
It remains to be seen how Ronaldo will perform in Saudi Arabia. Still, the league is filled with former European club footballers such as former Bayern Munich man Luiz Gustavo, ex-Porto forward Moussa Marega, and Euro 2016 champion Eder. The Saudi League is the most attractive destination and will likely see the most growth this decade.
Major League Soccer
It is not an everyday thing for players to head to the States towards the twilight of their careers. Nevertheless, George Best headed to Los Angeles back in 1976, and despite failing to impress in previous stints at Stockport County in Division Four and Cork Celtic in Ireland, Best found his form again at the Los Angeles Aztecs and would later be named as the North American Soccer League’s player of the year.
Other legends of the game, such as Pele, Cruyff, and Beckenbauer, all appeared in the NASL during the 1970s, helping launch the sport in the US as its first-ever major professional league. The standard, of course, was not as high as the rest of Europe, but it allowed US fans a glimpse at watching world-class footballing legends in the flesh.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (photo courtesy LA Times)
More recently, Andrea Pirlo, Steven Gerrard, and David Beckham played in the MLS, continuing the tradition. If it wasn’t for the introduction of the NASL, the MLS may have never come to fruition and has allowed the sport to continue to grow in North America. It is also believed that the playing standard in the US has improved significantly since the 70s, and, particularly for players, it is a good destination for them towards the end of their careers.
For Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he found the quality of the league all too easy. The Swedish legend joined LA Galaxy in 2018 and would go on to score a total of 53 goals in 58 games. However, Zlatan felt he could still compete at the top and left the US after two seasons, heading back to Italy for another stint in Milan. The 41-year-old continues to impress, scoring 33 Serie A goals in just 60 games since his return.
Perhaps the league’s quality is too easy for the best of the best, like Zlatan. However, for many players who did not feature in Europe’s top five leagues, the attraction comes from the large supporter base in the US. In addition, many MLS clubs see attendance similar to the Premier League. So for many, it offers an opportunity to experience positive fan support on a different level than they have experienced before.
