Observation - It’s been going on as a gossip or will I say argument.
That players of nowadays are more focus on making money rather than playing for passion like the old days.
I also can strongly say that passion for football ends in Ronaldo and Messi ERA.
What makes you think that the likes of Ronaldo, Messi and the rest were not interested in money during their time? To the best of my knowledge, football has been monetized a long time ago when people started seeing it as a career. It is a serious business for both the players and club owners. The only thing that differentiates the players of old and the present day players is that the value of these sport called football has increased.
Even with their supposed love for money, they are still good players who know what they are doing. If you do not see the passion in these players, then I think it's just your mindset telling you otherwise. We should not equate the integrity and passion for football with how much the players request to be paid for their efforts. We should watch out for some obvious malpractices and cheats. These should be where we draw the curtain.