Once heralded as Lionel Messi’s natural successor, Giovani dos Santos' career ultimately failed to live up to the lofty expectations set during his early years. Emerging from Barcelona’s renowned La Masia academy, he seemed destined for greatness, dazzling with his technical skills and flair. However, despite his promising beginnings, his journey through football's elite quickly lost momentum.
His career path took him across a patchwork of clubs, including underwhelming spells at Tottenham and Ipswich Town, fleeting moments at Galatasaray, and later a stint with LA Galaxy in the MLS. While flashes of his talent occasionally surfaced, his inability to deliver consistently or fulfill his immense potential underscored a career of unfulfilled promise.
While he may not have achieved success in the footballing world, though, the Mexican star has found a far more profitable path, venturing into the oil business after his playing days had ended. With his football career falling short of expectations, he has thrived in other areas, fitting the profile of players who have become even wealthier after retiring from the beautiful game.
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Giovani dos Santos' Post-Career Fortunes
He is among Mexico's wealthiest entrepreneurs
Giovani Dos Santos
At 35, the former Mexican midfield maestro still banks millions, now as a businessman partnered with state-owned Petroleos Mexicanos, better known as PEMEX. Not stopping there, the former Barcelona prodigy is also co-owner of Procura Mexico, a firm with deep ties to the lucrative petrochemical industry.
According to Fox Sports, as per the Daily Star, Dos Santos rakes in between £292,000 to £392,000 a year, which stands at over a staggering 10 million Mexican pesos locally. Additionally, he also reportedly has a business buying and selling luxury cars.
Dos Santos first burst onto the scene as a La Blaugrana starlet, stepping onto the pitch back in 2007, and swapping places with none other than Thierry Henry under Frank Rijkaard's wing for a La Liga clash with Athletic Bilbao. But the expectations proved too great. After making only 38 appearances for Barcelona and scoring four goals, he moved to Tottenham for £9million in 2008. Reminiscing about their time as Tottenham team-mates, Kyle Walker told Paramount+, as per the Mirror:
"When he arrived and we saw what he could do with his feet... It was like Ronaldinho; he reminded me of him by how he moved, his legs, the band in his hair and all that."
In the end, it wasn’t meant to be for the young Mexican. His time at Spurs was disappointing, with just three goals in 33 appearances, and included loan spells at Ipswich Town, Galatasaray, and Racing Santander. Dos Santos' best years came later in his career during stints at Mallorca, Villarreal, and LA Galaxy. At Villarreal, he enjoyed a rather productive spell, scoring 18 goals and providing 15 assists over two seasons, offering glimpses of the talent he was once renowned for.
While he also impressed on the international stage with El Tri, winning a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics and representing Mexico in three World Cups, his career never reached the heights of those he was once compared to. His journey is one marked by a mix of success, unmet expectations, but ultimately, a significant fortune.