La Liga is obviously the highest level of football in Spain. It’s also one of the top leagues in Europe, which is why many people bet on the action – as can be done when by hitting ‘visit site’ here. But in the last few years, La Liga does seem to have taken a hit in terms of its popularity from overseas fans. It’s not that major teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid have gone missing, it’s that prestigious players have left.
Below, we’d like to highlight three transfers that have led to the downslide of La Liga.
The guys that have caused La Liga to slide
Before we run the risk of shining a huge negative light on this league, it’s still one of the most competitive in Europe. The league is still full of fantastic players, it’s just that the following legends are no longer there:
Neymar Jr
Neymar Jr has been and still is one of the best strikers on the planet. He played at Barcelona from 2013-2017, and he was truly a superstar when playing there. In 123 appearances for the club, he netted 68 goals, and he was a pivotal member of the squad. Of course, this was largely helped by the fact that he played alongside other guys who were phenomenal players. But it’s not just his goal-scoring prowess that made him such an asset at Barcelona, it was his skill on the ball and creativity too.
Without question, Barcelona sorely misses Neymar Jr on the pitch, and much like the other guy on this list, he transitioned to PSG after Barcelona.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Arguably the greatest goal scorer that has ever lived, we come to Cristiano Ronaldo. This man became the player he is today during his time at Real Madrid. He played at Real Madrid from 2009-2018, scoring more than 300 goals in 292 appearances. He won the Champions League 4 times with Madrid, including the famous hat-trick! He also managed to win La Liga twice at a time where Barcelona was truly formidable in the league.
Following Madrid’s victory in the Champions League for the 17/18 season, he decided he needed a fresh challenge. He made the move to Juventus, winning several league titles but falling short on the Champions League during his time there.
Lionel Messi
Messi’s transfer to PSG in the 2021 summer window received enormous media coverage. He had played his entire career for Barcelona, and the emotion of Messi leaving the club was a tough watch. He was at the club from 2004-2021, displaying one of the longest tenures of any current player at one individual club. Of course, he is also one of, if not the best player in the world, and he drew in fans every single week in La Liga.
Now he has left for PSG, Barcelona is definitely not the same team, and La Liga as a whole isn’t the same.