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The 25-year-old midfielder is the son of Prince Jeffrey Bolkiah Ibni Umar Ali Saifuddin III of Brunei.
Photo: Getty Images
Football is a very lucrative sport, with millions of dollars coming in through various channels. Many stars make a lot of money by showing off their skills on the court and through brand sponsorships.
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When it comes to who is the richest player in the world, two figures come up: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Two of the best football players in history, playing for Inter Miami (USA) and Al Nasr (Saudi Arabia), left Europe to play in smaller leagues but make more money. However, none of them are the football players with the highest net worth today.
Topping the list is Faiq Bolkiah. The 25-year-old midfielder is the richest player in the world, but that’s not because of his talent in football and his brief time in the Europa League. Bolkiah is the son of Prince Jeffrey Bolkiah Ibni Omar Ali Saifuddin III of Brunei. His father also served as finance minister of the oil-rich country and chairman of the Brunei Investment Authority (BIA) from 1986 to 1997.
Additionally, he is the nephew of the current Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, who has been in power since October 5, 1967.
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Regarding his sports career, in 2009 Faik Bolkiah signed a one-year contract with Southampton Academy in England. Subsequently, in 2014, he signed a two-year youth training contract with Chelsea. In addition, he also played for Arsenal and Leicester City in the Premier League.
He joined the Thai club Chonburi in December 2021. Circumstances made Faiq a celebrity in his homeland, where he captained the Brunei national team despite never playing a minute of professional football on his home soil.
Among the 10 richest football players in the world, two names stand out: former players Mathieu Flamini and Dave Whelan, who devoted themselves to business after retirement and achieved great success. They made a fortune off the field.
The 10 richest football players in the world
| player | club | Net worth (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Faik Bolkiah | Chonburi (Thailand) | 20 billion |
| 2. Mathieu Flamini | retire | 4 billion |
| 3. Cristiano Ronaldo | Al Nasr (Saudi Arabia) | 500 million |
| 4. Lionel Messi | Inter Miami (USA) | 400000000 |
| 5. David Beckham | retire | 400000000 |
| 6. Dave Whelan | retire | 200000000 |
| 7. Neymar | Hilal (Saudi Arabia) | 200000000 |
| 8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic | retire | 190 million |
| 9. Ronaldo | retire | 160 million |
| 10. Alexander Pato | Sao Paulo Football Club (Brazil) | 145 million |
🚴🏻⚽🏀 The latest sports? : Everything you need to know about world sport, in The Observer