MLS and Saudi league showing stars they are worth the switch

A move to the US, or more prominently, the cash-rich Pro League is far from being the dead end it was once considered

- Shahid Judge

When David Beckham moved to the United States to play for Los Angeles Galaxy, he still held ambitions to play for the England national team.

But he got a clear message from then England manager Fabio Capello about what he would need to do to be considered for the national squad.

“He said, ‘you have to play for a European club at the highest level,” Beckham revealed in his 2023 documentary, Beckham.

At the time, a big-money move to a club playing in a less competitive league effectively marked the end of a player’s international career. It was an option pursued more by players well past their prime, who were looking for a relatively easier stage to play on in the last stage of their career.

But that is not the case today.

A move to the US, or more prominently, the cash-rich Saudi Pro League is far from being the dead end it was once considered.