Will the coronavirus bring back common sense to football?

The whole world is now plagued by a dangerous pandemic caused by the coronavirus. Society has already undergone changes, and similar shifts are certainly expected in the world of football. But will common sense finally return to the most popular team sport on the planet?

Images have appeared on social media showing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, with captions suggesting people should get their vaccines from them since they earn incomparably more than scientists or healthcare workers. The image quickly caused outrage and went viral. But has anyone asked why that is the case? It's no coincidence football is considered the most popular team game in the world.

When something gains such popularity, it becomes an attractive magnet for everything that comes with it. The more fans, viewers, and public attention, the more money is involved. Yes—money. It is the alpha and omega of modern football. The more, the better. Unfortunately, as money took center stage, the true magic of the game—so rich in history and tradition—began to fade.

Big houses, garages that can no longer fit all the luxury cars, extravagant fashion, chasing the highest follower count on social media, trendy haircuts, four new tattoos, absurdly high salaries, and even more absurd transfer fees. That too is football today.

The typical, simple passion once felt when we ran after the ball with friends as kids—when football itself was the most important thing, and everything else was secondary—seems to have vanished.

Today, it’s about something entirely different. At the highest level, football has taken on a sad image. But we, as fans, have contributed to this machine—whether we wanted to or not—simply because we love football. People flock to matches, buy season tickets, and shop in fan stores for everything from keychains, jerseys, and caps to towels, bathrobes, and even baby diapers. With a club logo, you can find just about anything. Players also promote specific brands and products, and since fans want to look like their heroes, they don’t hesitate to spend.

All this gradually influenced the market itself, inflating the bubble more and more. The result: astronomical transfers, outrageous salaries, complex contract terms. And as all of this grew, so did the prices of players—many of whom, just a decade ago, would have been only squad players—now valued in the tens of millions of euros or pounds.

The players aren’t really to blame. They’re simply part of the machinery that breaks records with every transfer window.

But now we are witnessing something that entered our lives uninvited. The dangerous COVID-19 virus has not only disrupted daily routines—it has spared no one. Businesses, factories, and shops are closing. Streets are empty. And stadiums echo with silence.

While it's incredibly sad that humanity is fighting a global pandemic that has already brought countless tragic stories, the virus has also led to a collective soul-searching. Not just among “ordinary” people, but among footballers too.

Now confined to their homes, players connect with the world only through the internet or from their balconies. Many have openly admitted in interviews that these difficult times have made them reevaluate what really matters. Things they once took for granted suddenly seem precious. They simply assumed it all was normal.

Clubs are already counting significant losses and are being forced to cut back. Footballers around the world are being asked to do the same. Clubs are reducing wages of their players and staff. And the same principle should apply to the transfer market. Finally, there may be a long-overdue correction—something fans and critics have been calling for.

Football expert Jozef Tokos echoed this sentiment in a recent interview for ŠPORT.sk. But whether common sense will truly return to football remains an open question, even in times like these. There’s no guarantee that people won’t eventually return to their previous “consumerist” habits.

“The money in football is—or was—so high because a footballer is like a walking billboard, seen by billions of people. Nothing else on Earth compares to that. For things to change, you’d need fewer viewers and less advertising money. That will happen in the short term, but eventually it will come back,” said Martin Vlachynský, analyst at the Institute of Economic and Social Studies (INESS), for ŠPORT.sk.

We also asked for the opinion of Milan Škriniar, the newly crowned Slovak Footballer of the Year, who believes humanity may receive a lesson and return to more grounded thinking—not just in football, but in everyday life. “The football world might come to its senses, but I don’t think this will happen only in football. It should happen in general,” said the Inter Milan defender. “You can really see it during this emergency situation when great danger looms over everyone. People are capable of coming together, treating each other kindly, and taking care of one another. Why shouldn’t it be like that all the time, even under normal circumstances? Maybe this situation can help people change—for the better, in all aspects of life,” added Škriniar.