Cristiano Ronaldo made history earlier this year by becoming the first footballer to amass a billion-pound fortune thanks to his illustrious career. However, his wealth doesn't make him the richest player in the world. Ronaldo's lucrative new contract with Al Nassr is set to earn him a staggering £492m over two years, after he initially signed a record-breaking £173m-per-year deal in Saudi Arabia in 2023.
This latest agreement pushed his total earnings past the £1bn mark. Bloomberg reports that Ronaldo's net worth soared to $1.4bn (£1.045bn) in October. Given his vast wealth, it's hardly surprising that the 40-year-old has ambitions of owning multiple football clubs in the future. Yet, even Ronaldo's enormous wealth pales in comparison to that of another player - and it's not his long-time rival Lionel Messi.
Faiq Bolkiah, who currently plays for Ratchaburi in Thailand, boasts a net worth that dwarfs even the world's biggest football stars. Bolkiah reportedly has an eye-watering £16bn in the bank. The 27-year-old is the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei and one of several heirs to a £200bn fortune.
Born in Los Angeles, Bolkiah started his football career with Newbury before honing his skills in the youth teams of Southampton, Chelsea and Leicester City. The left-winger transferred to Maritimo in 2020 without making a senior appearance in England, and signed his first professional contract.
However, Bolkiah struggled to make an impact there as well, playing just one match for their under-23s before moving to Thailand. Bolkiah joined Chonburi where he made 32 appearances, scoring two goals and providing four assists during his tenure. In 2023, he switched to Ratchaburi, a club that has competed in the Asian Champions League.
Despite holding both American and Bruneian citizenship, the Brunei international was raised in England. Although he never made a significant impact in the Premier League, he played alongside stars such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tammy Abraham at Chelsea.
Ruben Sammut, another team-mate from that period, revealed that the group used to tease Bolkiah about his wealth. "You would never ever have thought he was something like the 12th in line to the throne," Sammut told The Athletic. "You would not have thought of him as royalty. He was a humble guy, trying every day like every academy player.
"We used to joke he didn't need to play football but he wanted to play because he loved football. It wasn't a regular thing we mentioned. It was that typical banter, saying he is royalty, saying, 'What's he doing playing with us?' But we all knew deep down how much he wanted to play, so it was more good-willed passing comments."
Bolkiah might also recognise a fellow England international cricketer. The footballer attended the prestigious Bradfield College, with fees of £58,000 per annum, during his upbringing in England. The elite Berkshire private school also counts Gus Atkinson, a contemporary of Bolkiah, among its alumni.