Players who became rich after their football career

Football might not have been a sport where players would have earned a lot but nowadays it’s exactly the opposite. Footballers are paid highly for their services and they also involve themselves outside of the field with endorsements and franchises to be paid more and make their employers even more famous with their family following.  

Big stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar, and many others not only wear the brands they like but are also embassies for them with CR7 and LM10 featuring in the Louis Vuitton advertisement before the World Cup and seen sporting apparel from the brand too. Also, the shoes they wear while playing the matches like Adidas, Nike, etc are endorsed by them, and why not, a follower would want to have them if he/she sees their favorites sporting them.  

Rich football players after retiring  

1. Mathieu Flamini  

Mathieu Flamini was a midfielder who used to operate more so defensively than the traditional midfielder. The midfielder played for the likes of Italian giants AC Milan, English sides Arsenal and Crystal Palace, French side Marseille, and Spanish side Getafe during his entire career. The French international was never a popular player but had been a good addition to his employers. After hanging up his boots in 2018-19 he founded GF Biochemicals a company that stresses producing levulinic acid from plant waste that can be used to make environment-friendly plastic. He has a net worth of 12 billion dollars making him rich if not the richest.

2. Micheal Owen  

The youngest England scorer was a lethal striker who could have had an even more illustrious career but injuries took a toll on him. The former England international played for the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle, Stoke and Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid. The center striker hung up his boots in 2003 to become a racehorse breeder and co-owner of the company named Manor House Stables. The stable produces racehorses that lighted up the Dubai Gold Cup and Ascot Championship. He is currently one of the highest-earning ex-footballers with an annual earning of 70 million dollars.

3. Louis Saha  

Rich would be the wrong term when associating Louis Saha’s earnings with the former French international having earned the most of his money after retiring from football. The founder of AxisStars deals with connecting athletes and business brands to give them a different means of earning apart from football as well. The former Manchester United star founded the company after calling off a splendid 16-year career in 2013 with his now estimated worth to be equal to 4.9 billion dollars in 2023.

4. David Beckham  

Former England captain, Manchester United legend, Real Madrid’s Galactico, and Milan’s visionary midfielder crowned his career with French giants Paris Saint Germain with a small stint at LA Galaxy, David Beckham did it everywhere with his name being on top of the list for being one of the best till the end. The now owner of American side Inter Miami has a net worth of 450 million dollars and a personality that attracts stars like Leonel Messi to his club which creates an even exponential spark in his net worth day by day. It’s his personality and professionalism that have made him this Rich even after having a superb footballing career.

5. Sun Jihai  

Not much of a household name in the world of football, former China international Sun Jihai was a Manchester City player from 2002 to 2008. The defender had over 100 caps for the Manchester Blue and was the first-ever Chinese player to play in the Premier League. The rich entrepreneur is the owner of Beijing Haiqiu Technology Company which he founded in 2016 while playing his final trade for the Chinese side Beijing Renhe which yields him around 21.55 million dollars per year.

6. Asamoah Gyan

Former Ghana international and the top scorer in the world cups from South African nations combined, Asamoah Gyan is a rich ex-football player. The forward had a good career across the world playing his trade in Italy, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, France, and England. The player as he went to these nations built up his businesses in various fields including rice and noodles, gasoline stations, bottled water, real estate, and boxing promotions which now in return gives him annual earnings of 17+ million dollars.

Cover Credits: The Athletic