Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo has asserted that the decisions of Cristiano Ronaldo and other football stars to move to Saudi Arabia were primarily motivated by financial considerations rather than a passion for the game.
In recent times, Saudi Arabia has seen an influx of prominent football players making moves to the country. Players like Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Ruben Neves, Jordan Henderson, and Roberto Firmino have all been part of high-profile transfers to Saudi Arabian clubs during this transfer window.
“When you are young, yes, you play for passion. Back then, you don’t care about money. But at my age, I am in the final stretch of my career, I don’t know if it will be one, two years or when God will tell it to stop,” Ighalo, who was the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League last season, said to OmaSportsTV.
“I know it won’t be more than three years. I’ve played for passion all my life, now it’s for money. I’m not one of those players who come and say: ‘I play for passion’. Brother, it’s money. At the end of the day, it’s money.
“Is Ronaldo still playing out of passion? Ronaldo has earned 100 times more than I have in my entire life and yet he went to Saudi Arabia. Did he do that out of passion? It’s for money, bro.”
Ighalo parted ways with Al-Hilal at the end of the season.
