Leicester City winger Faiq Bolkiah is the world's richest footballer
As the world's richest footballer, Faiq Bolkiah has access to wealth that not even Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi could dream of, even taking into consideration their exorbitant weekly wages. But the member of the Brunei royal family would probably trade it all in if it meant realising his dream to play in the Premier League after several failed attempts to make it in England.
The 24-year-old boasts an extraordinary net worth of £16billion, putting him considerably higher than Messi's £491million and Ronaldo's £401m. Even with the Portuguese signing a £340m contract with Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr, Bolkiah's inheritance easily trumps the superstar's earnings.
Bolkiah, the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei, was born in Los Angeles and even has a photo on his Instagram of him meeting Queen Elizabeth II. His dad Jefri is the brother of oil tycoon Hassanal, making Faiq a member of Brunei’s royal family and one of the heirs to the sultan’s fortune. Naturally, such status in a small nation has propelled him into the limelight.
He first gained attention in England when he joined Southampton's academy as a teenager before turning out for Chelsea's Under-21 side during a short period of his career.
Faiq Bolkiah: Once on the books at Chelsea, he now plays in Thailand (Image: Getty)
Any concerns that Bolkiah would demand special treatment were quashed, with former Chelsea team-mate Ruben Sammut insisting the midfielder was a "humble" presence in the dressing room. “You would never ever have thought he was something like the 12th in line to the throne,” Sammut told The Athletic in 2020. "We used to play against him. I think he was at Reading. We didn’t realise who he was and nobody at Chelsea initially knew what his background was.”
A subsequent trial at Arsenal proved to be unsuccessful before Bolkiah signed on with Leicester City in 2016. Bolkiah actually spent four years at the King Power Stadium and even penned a contract extension at one point, suggesting he had a glimpse of a future in the Premier League. However, he never managed to break into the first-team fold and has been hopping between clubs since then.
It didn't work out for Bolkiah with the Foxes, but there were hopes he could make the big time in Portugal after signing for Maritimo in the Primeira Liga. Again, those hopes were quickly dashed when he was demoted to the B team to get some football under his belt, with the closest he came to making his debut being named amongst the substitutes against Sporting Lisbon.
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In December 2021, he was released by Portuguese top-flight side Maritimo in December after failing to make a single senior first-team appearance and admitted he had "regrets" about making the move. With offers back in Asia, Bolkiah decided to return to the Far East - penning an 18-month deal with Thai outfit Chonburi FC.
Despite his footballing fortunes taking a hit, Bolkiah has maintained a huge following due to his status with over 250,000 followers on Instagram. And perhaps for the first time in his career, the Brunei international was signed for his talents rather than his profiile, according to Chonburi boss Sasit Singtothong.
"He is the richest footballer in the world. But that's off the pitch. Because we pay attention to the players who will increase their potential," he told the club's website. "First of all we can feel that he is professional - he didn't want any special privileges more than a professional footballer will receive.
Faiq Bolkiah: The Brunei international now plays for Chonburi FC (Image: Getty)
Since joining Chonburi, Bolkiah has found regular football, scoring twice in 26 appearances, and being able to pull on the shirt regularly has given him a new lease of life. “I’m really happy and everyone had helped me in settling really well," Bolkiah said.
"The players are really nice and all of the staff had helped me. The last two years I don’t think I had much of an opportunity to show what I can do on the pitch at the last place I was at."
Bolkiah may have had to give up on his Premier League dream like thousands of other footballers, but the youngster can console himself with his embarrassment of riches when he eventually hangs up his boots. And no one - not even Ronaldo or Messi - can take that away from him.
