Who is the Richest Football Player in 2025? It‘s Faiq Bolkiah With a Staggering $20 Billion Net Worth
As astonishing as it sounds, little-known footballer Faiq Bolkiah is the richest active player in the world with an estimated net worth of $20 billion in 2024. The nephew of the Sultan of Brunei, Bolkiah was born into royalty and inherits his massive wealth from oil and gas reserves owned by his family.
While most fans focus on superstars like Messi and Ronaldo, their fortunes seem meager compared to Bolkiah‘s 10-figure net worth. Let‘s breakdown Bolkiah‘s wealth along with other players who rank among the richest in football currently and of all time.
The Mind-Boggling Wealth of Faiq Bolkiah – $20 Billion Net Worth
Born in Los Angeles in 1998 to Prince Jefri Bolkiah, Faiq Jefri Bolkiah plays as a winger for Maritimo in the Portuguese top division. But his day job earns him a paltry salary of $2,000 per week.
So where does 24-year-old Bolkiah‘s $20 billion net worth stem from? His immense wealth comes from being a nephew of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the absolute monarch of the oil-rich nation of Brunei.
According to Forbes, Hassanal Bolkiah has an estimated net worth between $20 billion and $28 billion derived from Brunei‘s oil and gas reserves. As a prince, Faiq stands to inherit a substantial fortune from the royal family.
Some key facts about Faiq Bolkiah‘s wealth:
- His father Jefri reportedly had a net worth of $10 billion in 2011 before scandals caused his fortune to decline
- Faiq makes headlines for lavish spending like owning a diamond jewelry collection and gold iPhone
- He paid $5,000 to have his soccer boots cleaned after each match according to an old teammate
So while you may not have heard of Faiq Bolkiah before, his royal lineage and family oil business make him football‘s richest player by far.
| Player | Estimated Net Worth |
|---|---|
| Faiq Bolkiah | $20 billion |
| Lionel Messi | $620 million |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | $490 million |
For Bolkiah, his high-priced football contracts seem inconsequential considering his inherited wealth. With riches like his, Faiq illustrates how extreme wealth shapes the modern football landscape.
Current Players – Messi, Ronaldo & Neymar Lead the Pack
Excluding Bolkiah‘s outlier $20 billion net worth, the list of richest current footballers is headed by the usual suspects:
Lionel Messi – $620 Million Net Worth
34-year-old Messi is the world‘s best paid footballer, earning over $130 million annually counting his $75 million salary from Paris St-Germain along with bonuses and endorsements.
His PSG contract pays him more than top athletes like LeBron James and Stephen Curry. Messi‘s net worth stems from:
- Career club wages of over $600 million just at Barcelona
- Lifetime endorsement earnings of $320 million from Adidas, Pepsi, Budweiser
- Owning real estate assets like a $7 million Miami apartment
- New endorsements with brands like Socios and Hard Rock Cafe
According to Forbes, Messi earned $120 million in 2022 to top their Highest-Paid Athletes list. With his record-breaking PSG salary, Messi‘s net worth seems likely to keep rising.
Cristiano Ronaldo – $490 Million
Portugal and Manchester United star Ronaldo was football‘s first on-field billionaire thanks to his salaries, endorsements and prudent business ventures.
But his net worth dropped to $490 million recently amid:
- Decline in form causing lower wage from United
- Loss of major sponsors like Nike, Herbalife
- Falling endorsement earnings to $55 million in 2022
Ronaldo earned over $650 million in wages from Real Madrid, more than any other footballer. He commands nearly $500 million in lifetime endorsement earnings working with brands like Clear shampoo and Pestana hotel group that he co-owns.
Neymar Jr. – $200 Million
Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar comes third, earning around $95 million annually counting his $70 million salary from PSG till 2025 along with endorsements.
At just 30 years old, the Brazilian star‘s net worth stems from:
- Being one of the world‘s most famous athletes with 150 million Instagram followers
- Lifetime endorsement earnings over $150 million from deals with Puma, Beats, Red Bull
- Owning a real estate portfolio including a $7 million mansion
Neymar‘s current PSG contract pays him more per week than his teammates Messi and Mbappe. With ample time to boost his wealth, expect Neymar‘s net worth to keep rising.
Below the top three are rising stars like Kylian Mbappe (net worth $150 million) and Erling Haaland (net worth $30 million). Despite being just 23 and 22 years old respectively, Mbappe already earns $53 million annually while Haaland takes home $39 million.
Their salaries illustrate how football wages for elite players have dramatically increased in recent times. Stars are now earning record paychecks at increasingly younger ages.
| Player | Net Worth | Annual Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | $620 million | $130 million |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | $490 million | $100 million |
| Neymar Jr. | $200 million | $95 million |
| Kylian Mbappe | $150 million | $53 million |
| Erling Haaland | $30 million | $39 million |
Former Players – Beckham, Jordan & Ibrahimovic Lead the Pack
Retired football stars also boast staggering net worths through massive career earnings and business pursuits off the pitch.
David Beckham – $450 Million Net Worth
Former Real Madrid, Manchester United and LA Galaxy star David Beckham has a net worth of $450 million, making him one of the richest retired footballers globally.
Beckham‘s diverse income stems from:
- Career earnings of $500 million including club wages and endorsements
- Owning Inter Miami CF, his own MLS football club
- A 10% stake in Salford City FC, a English club
- Endorsement deals with brands like Tudor Watch, Diageo
- Earning over $50 million annually even after retirement
According to Forbes, Beckham earned the nickname "King of Endorsements" after banking deals with Adidas, Samsung and H&M during his playing career. His business ventures and sponsorship deals continue boosting his wealth.
Michael Jordan – $2.2 Billion
Michael Jordan, often hailed as the greatest basketball player ever, is also the richest with a staggering net worth of $2.2 billion.
Most of Jordan‘s fortune stems from his long-time endorsement deal with Nike through his iconic Air Jordan brand of shoes. According to Forbes:
- Air Jordan sales alone total over $3 billion annually
- Jordan earns $130 million per year from Nike royalties
- His net worth grew by $300 million in 2022 thanks to surging Nike stock
Despite retiring in 2003, Jordan earns more every year than current stars like Messi and Ronaldo through the sustained popularity of his personal shoe and apparel brand.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – $190 Million
Legendary striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic also boasts a net worth of over $190 million ahead of his retirement this year. He amassed over $300 million in career wages playing for clubs like Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona and Manchester United.
Even at age 41, Zlatan was one of the highest paid players in Italy earning $14 million annually at AC Milan. His larger-than-life persona also earned him sponsorships with brands like Volvo, Vitamin Well and Microsoft Xbox.
Club Owners – Treating Football as Vanity Projects
While star footballers earn eye-popping sums, they are dwarfed by club owners buying teams as vanity projects. Billionaire owners continue to flood into football, spending record fees on transfers and salaries.
Manchester City‘s owner Sheikh Mansour of the UAE royal family leads the pack with a $30 billion net worth. Meanwhile, Roman Abramovich was worth over $12 billion before being sanctioned for his ties to Putin‘s regime in Russia.
Other examples include:
-
Nasser Al-Khelaifi – He simultaneously owns Paris Saint-Germain and beIN Media Group through Qatar Sports Investments. His exact net worth is unknown but likely runs into billions.
-
Stan Kroenke – The American businessman owns Arsenal FC and has a net worth of $10.7 billion through his majority stake in Kroenke Sports & Entertainment.
-
Lakshmi Mittal – The Indian steel tycoon is on the board of Arsenal FC and boasts a $14 billion fortune through his majority ownership of ArcelorMittal.
These billionaire owners have transformed player wages and transfer fees. With more entering football as a hobby, wealth will concentrate further among a tiny elite.
Wealth Inequality in Football – The Extremes and Reality for Most
The net worth figures reveal vast wealth inequality in football, both on and off the field. A fraction of the top players and owners control the vast majority of football‘s monetary resources.
To illustrate the extremes:
- Cristiano Ronaldo earns in two weeks what a nurse makes in her lifetime.
- Sheikh Mansour bought Manchester City FC for £210 million in 2008 – today it is worth £4.5 billion.
- Meanwhile the average Premier League salary is £3.3 million versus £30,000 for lower league players.
- As of 2020, 55% of nearly 4000 active professional footballers in England earn less than £1,000 per week.
So while the media obsesses over the excesses of football‘s top stars like Messi‘s private jet or Faiq Bolkiah‘s diamond iPhone, their extraordinary salaries also reflect distorted values.
Does Ronaldo work 380 times harder than a nurse saving lives during the pandemic? How can Mansour and elite owners multiply club valuations and show losses of hundreds of millions annually?
With more billionaire owners entering football as a hobby, wealth concentration among a tiny fraction will only increase. Tackling inequality remains one of football‘s biggest challenges today and in the future. The community must continue this conversation.