Ranking the 5 best players of all time to have played in 3 or more top European leagues
Europe is home to the top footballing leagues and nations on the planet. Italy, England, France, Germany, and Spain all boast clubs with immeasurable firepower and defensive acumen, which allow them to go toe-to-toe in the Champions League.
Footballers, who are lucky to ply their trade in Europe, are seldom satisfied with the exposure they get in a single footballing league. This is why many tend to jump from one country to another, hoping to cement their place further in history.
Today, we will be taking a look at the five greatest players in the history of football who have played in three or more countries. They may not have been successful in all of these countries, but their status in world football remains unaffected to this day.
Now, without further ado, let us check out the
top 5 players who have featured in at least 3 renowned European leagues
Special mention: David Beckham, Samuel Eto’o, Arjen Robben, Thiago Silva, George Weah
#5 Dani Alves (La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1)
Former Barcelona right-back Dani Alves is the most decorated player in the history of the sport. The Brazilian full-back, who won 2021 Olympic gold with his country, has accumulated 43 trophies over the course of his career.
He played for La Liga side Sevilla between 2002 and 2008. In his final season, Sevilla agreed to sell him to Liverpool, but Barcelona came swooping in. A €26.75million deal went through and Barcelona got themselves a versatile defender on the right. Over the next eight seasons, he won 23 trophies with the club, including six La Ligas and three Champions Leagues. In 2016, he moved to Juventus, won the Serie A, and joined Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season.
His stay in Paris lasted for two seasons, in which he won six trophies, including two Ligue 1 titles.
#4 Ronaldinho (Ligue 1, La Liga, Serie A)
Ronaldinho was a man of many talents and arguably the most skillful player the world has ever seen. He could beat any defender on his day and had the unique ability to make even opposition fans fall in love with his football.
The Brazilian trickster first came into the spotlight at Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. He spent two seasons at the club, between 2001 and 2003, and was easily their most impressive player. He got in trouble due to his love for partying but that did not stop him from sealing a €30million move to Barcelona in 2003.
He enjoyed his best spell in La Liga, winning the 2005-06 Champions League, two La Liga titles and two Spanish Super Cups. After his five-season spell at Barcelona, he joined AC Milan in 2008 for €22 million plus bonuses. The 2005 Ballon d’Or winner won the Serie A title in 2010-11 with the Italian giants.