While most people would think that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the world’s richest footballers, that is not the case.
This is even though Ronaldo reportedly earns $200 million per year at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia and Messi $32 million at Inter Miami in the US.
But it is Faiq Bolkiah, a 25-year-old footballer from Brunei, who holds the title of the world’s richest footballer with a huge net worth of £18 billion.
To put that into perspective, Messi is worth around £500 million and Ronaldo about £400 million – combined, that’s still £17 billion less than Bolkiah.
Unlike Messi or Ronaldo, Bolkiah’s fortune doesn’t come from football alone. He is the nephew of Hassanal Bolkiah, the current Sultan of Brunei, and part of one of the wealthiest royal families in the world.
The Sultan himself is worth an estimated £22 billion, with the family owning palaces, luxurious properties, and an eye-watering fleet of nearly 600 Rolls-Royce cars.
Born in Los Angeles in 1998, Faiq has dual citizenship in Brunei and the US, but he spent his early years in England, where he pursued football.
He attended Thorngrove Preparatory School near Newbury and quickly caught the eye of coaches with his talent on the pitch.
Faiq then left Newbury and joined Southampton’s academy in 2009. Four years later, he tried out for Arsenal but quickly returned to the Saints.
Former teammates described him as “quick, skillful, and humble,” and his playing style was similar to Theo Walcott’s.
In 2014 Faiq joined Chelsea’s youth team, impressing enough to earn a two-year contract.
Ruben Sammut, a former Chelsea academy player, previously said: “He was a shy guy who trained hard every day. We joked about him being wealthy, but we all knew how much he loved football.”
Faiq then went on to play for Leicester City, where he signed his first professional contract in 2015.
Though part of the reserve team for three years, he never made a senior appearance. He eventually moved to Maritimo in Portugal in 2020 but later left by mutual agreement.
Faiq captained the Brunei national team on the international stage and scored for his country.
And, despite his wealth, football remains his true passion. “I’ve played football for as long as I can remember, and I’ve always loved being on the pitch,” he once said.
In 2021, Faiq joined Chonburi FC in the Thai League before moving to Ratchaburi in 2023, where he reportedly earns just £2,300 per month, having refused special privileges due to his royal status.
