Faiq Bolkiah from Brunei is the richest footballer in the world with a net worth of £18 billion.
According to the Daily Express , when it comes to the richest football players in the world, many people often think of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. However, that is not the case. Although Ronaldo is said to earn $200 million a year at Al Nassr (Saudi Arabia) and Messi earns $32 million when playing for Inter Miami (USA), both are still far behind Faiq Bolkiah – a 25-year-old football player from Brunei, who owns a huge net worth of up to 18 billion pounds.
To put that into perspective, Messi’s net worth is estimated at £500m and Ronaldo’s at £400m. In total, this is still £17bn less than Faiq Bolkiah’s.
Faiq Bolkiah is the richest football player in the world. (Photo: Getty)
The secret behind the huge fortune
Unlike Messi or Ronaldo, Faiq Bolkiah’s fortune does not come solely from football. He is the nephew of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah – the ruler of Brunei, one of the richest royal families in the world.
Born in 1998 in Los Angeles, USA, Faiq holds dual citizenship of Brunei and the United States. However, he spent most of his childhood in England, where he began to pursue his passion for football. After attending Thorngrove Preparatory School near Newbury, Faiq’s footballing talents were quickly noticed.
Faiq started at Southampton’s academy in 2009 and had a trial with Arsenal in 2013 before returning to Southampton. In 2014, he joined Chelsea’s youth team on a two-year contract. Former teammates have described him as humble, passionate about football and with a similar playing style to Theo Walcott.
In 2015, Faiq signed his first professional contract with Leicester City and played for the reserve team for three years but did not make any appearances for the first team. He moved to Maritimo (Portugal) in 2020 before leaving the club by mutual agreement.
Faiq Bolkiah currently plays in Thailand. (Photo: Getty)
In 2021, he joined Chonburi FC in the Thai League and has been playing for Ratchaburi since 2023. What’s special is that Faiq only receives a salary of £2,300 per month here, refusing royal privileges to pursue his true passion for football.
Faiq Bolkiah is also the captain of the Brunei national team and has scored for the team. Despite his huge fortune, he has always maintained a strong love for the ball. Faiq once shared: “I have played football since I was a child, and I have always loved the feeling of being on the field.”
Faiq Bolkiah’s humility, passion and desire to pursue football despite his royal background make him a rare case in football, deserving of the title of the richest football player in the world.
