Giovani dos Santos, once tipped to replace Lionel Messi on the pitch, has failed to reach the heights he had hoped for in his football career. Instead of failing, he has found a new – and even more successful – playing field in the oil business.

At 35, Dos Santos is now making millions from his business ventures in his native Mexico. He is a partner in the state-owned oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), one of Mexico’s largest oil companies.

He is also a co-owner of Procura Mexico, a company linked to the petrochemical industry. According to Fox Sports, dos Santos’ annual income from these businesses is between $400,000 and $500,000, or more than 10 million Mexican pesos. This is an impressive figure compared to the income he can earn from football.

Giovani dos Santos started his football career at Barcelona in 2007, when he was expected to become the team’s brightest star, competing with Lionel Messi. However, the high expectations prevented him from shining as expected.

After 38 appearances and four goals for Barcelona, Dos Santos moved to Tottenham Hotspur for £9 million in 2008. However, he failed to make his mark at Spurs, scoring just three goals in 33 games.

Although Dos Santos’ football career did not compare to other big stars, he had some successful years later, playing brilliantly for Mallorca, Villarreal and LA Galaxy.

At Villarreal, he scored 18 goals and provided 15 assists in two seasons, showing what he can do when given freedom and without too much pressure.

On the international stage, dos Santos has also achieved many successes, including a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics and participating in three World Cups with the Mexican team.

In 2021, Dos Santos decided to retire. He moved from football to business, especially in the fields of oil, luxury cars and marketing.

These moves have given Dos Santos a huge business empire, making him one of the richest sports entrepreneurs in Mexico . This season, Dos Santos’s former team Barcelona is at the top of La Liga.