In 2018, people around the world took the 10 Year Challenge on social media. The idea of the challenge was to do a side-by-side photo comparison from 10 years ago and today. The challenge’s intentions were to show the difference in the way people look for better or worse.
Today, we take a look at how football has changed over the last 10 years. A lot has changed so let us take a dip into the Football 10 year challenge.
Manchester United’s downfall, Manchester City’s rise
In the last 10 years, Manchester United have gone from being one of the best teams in the Premier League to being an also-ran.
The Red Devils have won two league titles in the last 10 years while local rival Manchester City have risen to be one of the top sides in England.
Manchester City have won three Premier League titles in the last decade, one more than their city rival.
Investment in football clubs has become greater
The last 10 years have seen a number of big investors buy into the world of football. Qatari Sports Investment bought Paris Saint-Germain turning them into a state-run propaganda machine. Sheikh Mansour’s investment in Manchester City has grown to make the club the best in England. Meanwhile, Fenway Sports Group took over Liverpool investing in the Reds which has led to three European cup finals in the last four years.
The Chinese Super League bloomed and died
For a short time, the Chinese Super League became the “it” league for footballers to move to. CSL teams shelled out huge transfer fees to bring proven and unproven players to the league and help develop local talent. Since the CSL jumped the shark in by signing Oscar for £54 million in 2016-17, fears that big-name players would leave for massive paydays have waned. The likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and others do not look likely to leave for the Far East as once feared.
Improvement of women’s football
Women’s football continues to improve on and off the pitch. The Women’s World Cup has increased to 24 teams in the last decade and the quality on the pitch is far better. The prize money for the Women’s World Cup winner has also increased with over £30m going to the victor. This year’s event has sold over 1 million tickets in France.
Transfer fees have got crazy
Perhaps the biggest difference in the 10 year challenge is the amount of money teams pay in player transfers. In 2009, Kaka was the world’s most expensive transfer when he joined Real Madrid for £56m. Days later Ronaldo joined Real Madrid for a whopping £80m. In 2017, Neymar moved from Barcelona to PSG for £198m.