Soccer in a Post-Ronaldo World

Let’s just put it this way: if Real Madrid had wanted to spend just a little more than it did on Cristiano Ronaldo this week, the club could have bought Newcastle United. That’s the kind of money we’re talking about.

Without batting an eyelash after making Kaka one of the most expensive transfers in history, Real went and smashed all the records by blowing $131 million on Manchester United's Ronaldo. (In case you don't know quite who he is, the BBC has a handy tutorial on Mr. Ronaldo right here.) And now the fallout can begin. Is Real done spending? How will United use its newfound pile of cash? What does this mean for the rest of the market?

First, and perhaps most worrisome, is that Real does not seem done. Beginning with Kaka, Real President Florentino Perez made it very clear that his goal is to create a new generation of Galacticos. Signing Ronaldo, the reigning FIFA World Player of the Year, only added to that. And now, the rumors are swirling. Valencia's David Villa, perhaps, to give Kaka and Ronaldo a target up front? Franck Ribery, maybe, to complete one of the most devastating attacking midfields on the planet?

One thing is certain, though. Real will not be able to complete a midfield trio of the widely accepted top three players in the world. They are missing Lionel Messi and there is no way Real's chief rival, F.C. Barcelona, would be willing to part with him. Not for all the doubloons in Spain. On Thursday, I asked Barcelona President Joan Laporta what he thought about it for the New York Times . And, he said, he was not worried about Real one bit, even though they are clearly gunning for Barca. At the end of the day, he pointed out, Barca is the team that won three trophies last year.

"The reason they are doing this is that they have emergencies, so they have to take risks," Laporta said. "Football Club Barcelona is their rival, and we won everything last season and that made them anxious."

As for Manchester United, no player is out of reach now. That is, if the club decides to actually spend money on players rather than soften the massive debt it inherited from the Glazer family. But it seems that the family has promised that won't be the case. According to London's Daily Telegraph, the candidates to replace Ronaldo begin with Ecuadorean winger, Antonio Valencia. Ribery and French international Karim Benzema have also been linked to the club in the European headlines. For profiles of the most likely players to take over the No. 7 shirt, check out the BBC's list here.

But perhaps the broadest question raised this week is how can Real afford to do this during one of the most crippling financial crises anyone can remember? And does it now mean that a team can just buy trophies?

UEFA President Michel Platini, like many other high-ranking officials in the game, has already expressed his concerns.

"It is very puzzling at a time when football faces some of its worst ever financial challenges," Platini said in a statement to Reuters. "These transfers are a serious challenge to the idea of fair play and the concept of financial balance in our competitions."

Laporta even criticized his rivals for failing to light the path of sensible business decisions.

"Being realistic, paying this amount of money is not the market price," he said. "In the global financial crisis, we in football have to be examples in many things. And in this case, common sense is telling us something different."

Knowing whether or not this means trophies are only a fat check away remains to be seen. Chelsea stands out as an example of a team that tried to buy success when Roman Abramovich took over and, to an extent, it worked. And it certainly worked for Real in the early 2000's when they signed the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo. Can they pull it off again?

Check back in May.