Friday 24 March 2017 11:38, UK
The game’s biggest stars are concentrated in Europe’s top leagues but not all of football’s stars confine themselves to the continent.
Some are strewn across the globe, starring in North America and Asia or lighting things up in South America.
Here are 10 of the best…
Belgium international Axel Witsel had long been linked with some of Europe's biggest clubs during his time at Zenit St Petersburg, so it was something of a surprise when he traded Russia for China and signed for newly-promoted Tianjin Quanjian. Witsel even scored the club's first ever Chinese Super League goal. It has not harmed the 28-year-old's international hopes either with Roberto Martinez naming him in the squad this month.
Diminutive Italian talent Sebastian Giovinco has been an MLS sensation for Toronto FC since his surprise move from Juventus in 2015. A one-time pivotal figure under Antonio Conte in Turin, Giovinco has rediscovered his best form over the Atlantic, winning the best player award in his first season. He added a further 22 goals second time around, but Toronto suffered the heartbreak of penalty shootout defeat in the MLS Cup final.
The 31-year-old striker lost his place in the France squad in November but moving to Mexico did not stop Andre-Pierre Gignac going to Euro 2016. In fact, it was the making of him. The long-time Marseille man traded Ligue 1 for Liga MX team Tigres in 2015 and responded with 33 goals and the country's player of the year award on the way to winning the title. He is still firing them in too, becoming something of a cult hero in Mexico.
Not all of the ageing big names to head out to North America have brought their best form to Major League Soccer but nobody could level that accusation at David Villa. With 40 goals in his first two seasons for New York City FC, no player in the league scored more. The 35-year-old forward picked up the club's MVP award and was named in the MLS all-star team in both seasons. He is still among the classiest players on the continent.
The star of Atletico Nacional's Copa Libertadores triumph last year, Miguel Borja has since become the fourth-most expensive signing in Brazilian football history having been acquired by Palmeiras as Gabriel Jesus's replacement in Sao Paulo. The strong and quick Colombian scored four goals in the two-legged semi-final before bagging Atletico Nacional's winner in the second leg of their final in Medellin in July. Good going.
The Argentine icon walked away from Europe after firing Juventus to the Champions League final in 2015 as he had unfinished business in his homeland with Boca Juniors. But the former West Ham, Manchester City and Manchester United forward now finds himself in China with Shanghai Shenhua. At 33, he's still got it though - he scored from the spot and provided two assists on his Chinese Super League debut this month.
A reported target for Manchester United and AC Milan, Everton Ribeiro was in the Brazil squad in 2015 when he left Cruzeiro for Al Ahly of the Arabian Gulf League. A two-time Brazilian league player of the year, he has since gone on to establish himself as one of the greatest players in Asian football, helping his team to the title in his first season. At 27, Ribeiro is at the peak of his powers, scoring a late winner over Al Jazira earlier this month.
Graziano Pelle was a key player for Italy at Euro 2016, scoring stoppage-time goals against Belgium and Spain before the tournament ended in disappointment with his shootout miss against Germany in the quarter-finals. He has since been axed from the squad for refusing to shake his manager's hand after being substituted against Spain in October but the ex-Southampton striker continues to bang them in for Chinese club Shandong Luneng.
The former Chelsea midfielder was still contributing in the Premier League, featuring nine times in what looks like being a procession to the title, prior to his big-money switch to Shanghai SIPG in the winter. At 25, the Brazil international's best years should be ahead of him and it seems they will be spent in the Chinese Super League. He has started well, scoring the opener in his team's AFC Champions League qualifying win over Sukhothai.
Uncapped Brazilian Alex Teixeira joined Jiangsu Suning for an Asian record transfer fee of €50m in 2016 and scored 19 goals in his first season in China. A five-time title winner and two-time league top scorer in Ukraine with Shakhtar Donetsk, the 27-year-old had been coveted by some of Europe's biggest clubs with Liverpool reportedly having a bid rejected last year. But it is Chinese Super League fans getting to enjoy Teixeira now.
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