Ronaldo the latest star to end career in soccer outpost

By STEVE DOUGLAS
AP Sports Writer

Cristiano Ronaldo is not the first soccer superstar to head off to one of the world’s supposed minor leagues in the latter years of his career. The temptation for one last huge payday, to be a trailblazer in a nation looking to boost its standing in the sport, or just to try something different often can be too big to resist. Many of soccer’s biggest names like Pelé, Johan Cruyff, Zico, Xavi Hernandez and now the 37-year-old Ronaldo at Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr have found themselves prolonging their careers at unlikely soccer outposts usually for vast amounts of money.