There was a time, not so long ago, when Allan Saint-Maximin was something of a cult figure. His spells at Nice and Newcastle suggested a player destined for bigger things, someone whose talent and unpredictability might eventually earn him a move to one of Europe’s elite clubs. Instead, in 2023, he joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli. What followed was an unlikely itinerary: Fenerbahce, Club América in Mexico, Lens and, most recently, Charlotte FC in MLS, all within the space of two years. For a player who is not yet 30, it is a strikingly unsettled career path, and a far cry from the trajectory once expected of him. Yet while his footballing career has taken some unexpected turns, Saint-Maximin has been pursuing an altogether different ambition. He has designed a board game, received an offer worth millions of euros to sell it, and turned it down. He would rather retain the rights to his creation and invest in developing it himself.
The story of this unlikely second career emerges in a lengthy interview with The Athletic. Saint-Maximin explained that developing Helios, as the game is called, had cost him «many sleepless nights», adding that making a genuinely good game means constantly coming up with new ideas. He and his friends spent two and a half years working on it, refusing to give up until they had turned their original concept into a finished game. Their efforts eventually attracted a remarkable offer, reportedly worth €22 million. But Saint-Maximin insists that money was never the main motivation. «It’s not about money, it’s about creating something. We’ve been on this journey to create opportunities and jobs for people.»
What began as a passion project has since grown into something considerably more ambitious. Helios is no casual diversion or celebrity side project: it is an elaborate game with a world of its own, rooted in Saint-Maximin’s longstanding fascination with Greek mythology. In 2022, while still at Newcastle, he began combining that interest with his enthusiasm for board games. The result was Helios, a card game incorporating a range of additional mechanics. The official rulebook offers a sense of its complexity. Saint-Maximin took a copy with him on away trips, using whatever spare time he could find to refine it. He became increasingly invested in the project, eventually turning down a lucrative offer from a company keen to acquire it. His football career has taken him from club to club, across countries and continents. Helios, however, is something he has decided to hold on to. And that, ultimately, may be the most revealing part of the story.