The World Cup is every football player’s dream. Gracing football’s grandest stage is an accomplishment treasured by many currently playing and even retired players. The short nature of the tournament means that there is very little time to judge player’s ability even for scouts and managers. Below is a list of players who shone for their countries at the World Cup before going on to be signed for huge transfer fees only for them to flop.
EL Hadji Diouf- Liverpool.
Senegal’s quarter final finish in the 2002 edition was largely due to the forward’s creativity and grit. Diouf’s heroics attracted big clubs and the ‘lucky’ one was English giants Liverpool FC. He was handed the no.9 jersey and after scoring twice in his home debut, the goals dried up for Diouf who went on to score a mere six goals in 80 appearances for the Reds. He was eventually loaned to Bolton Wanderers in 2004 before sealing the deal permanently a year later.
Kleberson- Man United
His World Cup performances led to Scolari declaring Kléberson the driving force behind Brazil’s cup-winning side, and drew interest from several European teams. Leeds, failed to secure the signing after Kléberson decided against leaving Brazil without his girlfriend, who he was unable to marry until her 16th birthday, and eventually it was Manchester United who signed Kléberson, paying a fee of 6.5 million Euros on 12 August 2003. Seen as a replacement for Sebastian Veron, Kléberson was injured in his second appearance for the club and made only 20 appearances in two seasons. He scored two league goals in his time at Manchester United, both coming in home wins against Blackburn Rovers and Everton.
James Rodriguez
He was the star man in the 2014 world cup held in Brazil. The Colombian then playing for Monaco scored six goals and set up another two in five games as Colombia crashed out in the quarter final stage. His performances attracted Spanish giants Real Madrid who signed him. He however could not deliver the same level of performances and was mostly benched by head coach Zinedine Zidane before being loaned out to Bayern Munchen.