 "Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo remain the biggest football stars in the world and are also counted among the greatest to have ever played the sport. Reuters")
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo remain the biggest football stars in the world today despite being in the twilight of their legendary careers. They also happen to be among the greatest to have ever played the sport, alongside the likes of Pele and Diego Maradona, and had shared an iconic rivalry during their time together in the LaLiga.
Messi and Ronaldo are also among the wealthiest footballers in the world today, thanks to the mega deals that they’ve signed with Inter Miami and Al-Nassr respectively with the latter reportedly earning up to $188 million per year. That, however, does not make either the wealthiest footballer in the world.
That honour goes to Faiq Bolkiah, the US-born Brunei winger who currently plays for Ratchaburi FC in Thai League 1 and is reportedly worth $20 billion.
Who is Faiq Bolkiah, the Brunei footballer richer than Messi and Ronaldo?
The reason why Bolkiah is the wealthiest footballer in the world despite being nowhere near Messi and Ronaldo’s level as a footballer is simple – he is a member of Brunei’s royal family. 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, USA and holds both Bruneian and American citizenship.
Though born in the United States, Bolkiah chose to represent Brunei, making his U-19 debut for the team in 2013 and his first senior appearance three years later. He currently captains the national team. As for his club career, he was part of the youth teams of former Premier League champions Chelsea and Leicester City as well as Southampton before signing with Portuguese club Maritimo.
Before signing with Ratchaburi in 2023, he had played two seasons for another Thai club Chonburi.
Bolkiah had suffered a devastating injury in February last year after colliding with a defender during his team’s match against Police Tero, and had been out of action for nearly a year before making a triumphant return in Ratchaburi’s 4-1 win over Rayong FC last month.