Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are not the richest footballers in the world despite their legendary careers and the mega transactions they signed with Inter Miami and Al-Nassr respectively, the latter would have won $ 188 million a year.
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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo remain the biggest football stars in the world today despite the twilight of their legendary careers. They are also among the greatest to have ever played sport, alongside Pele and Diego Maradona, and had shared an emblematic rivalry during their stay together in the Laliga.
Messi and Ronaldo are also among the richest footballers in the world today, thanks to the mega offers they signed with Inter Miami and Al-Nassr respectively with the latter winning up to $ 188 million a year. This, however, is only the richest footballer in the world.
This honor goes to Faiq Bolkiah, the Brunei winger born in the United States who is currently playing for the Ratchaburi FC in the Thai Ligue 1 and which is worth 20 billion dollars.
The reason why Bolkiah is the richest footballer in the world despite the fact that the level of Messi and Ronaldo as a footballer is simple – he is a member of the royal family of Brunei. Son of Prince Jefri Bolkiah and nephew of Hassanal Bolkiah, who has been the sultan of Brunei since 1967, Faiq was born in Los Angeles, in the United States and holds Bruneian and American citizenship.
Although born in the United States, Bolkiah chose to represent the Brunei, making his U-19 debut for the team in 2013 and his first senior appearance three years later. He is currently captain of the national team. As for his club career, he was one of the youth teams of the former Premier League Chelsea and Leicester City champions as well as Southampton before signing with the Portuguese club Maritimo.
Before signing with Ratchaburi in 2023, he had played two seasons for another Thai club Chonburi.
Bolkiah had undergone a devastating injury in February of last year after colliding with a defender in his team’s match against the police police, and had been out of service for almost a year before making a triumphant return to Ratchaburi’s 4-1 victory against the FC radius.
