Footballers are notorious for their extravagant spending habits. They often splurge on luxury items with a “see it, grab it” mentality. Con artists, dealers, and real estate agents make hundreds of millions of euros annually by exploiting these impulsive buyers. Cristiano Ronaldo, for example, owns properties whose values have halved, although he doesn’t seem to mind, having squandered millions on parties in his youth. In nightclubs, footballers spend fortunes. Micah Richards, a former Manchester City player, once spent $150,000 in one night in Los Angeles.
Not as infamous as Kokorin and Mamaev, but that’s still nearly 14 million rubles for one night, and Micah is no Ronaldo in terms of wealth. The total expenditures of footballers on drugs, alcohol, and prostitutes are incalculable, but it’s estimated to be tens of millions of euros annually. During the pandemic, it wasn’t just Manchester City’s Walker who hired elite escorts with fresh tests for coronavirus and STDs. Footballers spend fortunes on escorts from social media.
Players often give money to friends and family for “businesses” that never materialize. Their massive and often foolish expenditures can be categorized. The first category is real estate. Buying homes for their parents and themselves is logical, but owning three mansions worth tens of millions of euros is excessive, as are hotels that don’t turn a profit. Ronaldo once bought a hotel for 140 million euros in Monte Carlo but didn’t see any returns. John Terry has spent over 50 million euros on houses.
One of Rooney’s houses is worth over 20 million euros. Beckham owns property in London worth 50 million euros, although he lives in the US. It’s odd for guys who spend half their lives traveling to buy three massive homes, none of which they need with ten bedrooms. Travel is a great expenditure for any happy person, but there are different ways to vacation. Ronaldo left 20,000 euros in tips at a restaurant, and an injured Neymar went on a cruise.
Good news – the ticket was paid for, and the player was the bait. But there was a casino on the ship, where Neymar could lose millions. Gambling is another significant expenditure. Buffon and Rooney have lost millions. Gillespie from Newcastle owed 8 million pounds. Many lose silently, embarrassed to admit it. Compared to this, spending on clothes, accessories, and shoes pales in comparison. However, there’s one more important category – transportation in various forms.
Neymar, Pogba, and Bale Need Private Jets
It’s no surprise that Messi and Ronaldo own jets. They are billionaires. But Swedish Ibrahimovic, Welsh Bale, Brazilian Neymar, and French Pogba also have private jets. Pogba loved to show off, dreaming of being among the “cool guys.” But a jet is an expensive pleasure even for a millionaire. Cristiano’s winged friend costs 65 million dollars, Messi’s jet is 45 million, Ibrahimovic spent 26 million, and Neymar 22 million euros.
Private jets need maintenance, and flights are costly. Occasionally, footballers sell their old aircraft and buy new, expensive models. They pay for quality pilots to stand by. A whole team waits for Neymar’s whim to fly with a new model. Even the birth of his daughter didn’t change the Brazilian’s habits, although he persuaded the child’s mother to turn a blind eye to a new batch of infidelities.
Scammers Have Swindled Hundreds of Millions from Footballers
Among football people, some invested millions in art. For example, coach Capello has paintings. Messi bought a collectible Ferrari for 32 million euros, which he can sell for a profit anytime. But such people are the minority. Most footballers have collections of new cars that depreciate, break down, and require insane maintenance costs. A car can be sold at a steep discount.
Much worse, over the past five years, many footballers have been scammed with NFTs (digital images costing hundreds of thousands of euros) and cryptocurrency. This is where players have lost hundreds of millions. After falling for various scams, footballers buy simply expensive homes instead of castles. Ronaldo has followed this trend in recent years. But trading in houses has its problems – footballers’ terrible taste. For example, one of the world’s best architects had a falling out with Hazard and his wife.
The Belgian hamburger lover invited a specialist to make changes to a mansion near Madrid and planned to ruin the house. Many of Ronaldo’s properties have awful designs. Taste cannot be bought with money. Often, watches and cars of footballers look terrible. Thanks to clothing designers, players of Mbappe’s generation are better versed in fashion than those of Evra’s generation. Patrice chose strange outfits that amused everyone at Manchester United.
Significant Expenditures of Players – Money Down the Drain
Almost every footballer has insane, empty expenditures. It’s still okay when it’s for gifts. Haaland spent 500,000 euros on watches for everyone at Borussia Dortmund as a farewell gift, not forgetting the club’s staff. Ronaldo gave a Greek island worth tens of millions of euros to his agent Mendes for his wedding. Ibrahimovic owns an island for 2.5 million euros for hunting and fishing in Sweden. Messi has a small yacht worth 12 million euros, while Sergio Ramos has a vessel worth 6 million euros.
But neither Neymar’s helicopter for 11 million euros nor 90% of the cars in footballers’ collections can be considered smart purchases. Bankruptcies best describe the financial habits of many footballers. Ronaldinho and Cafu lost millions of euros. Former Liverpool player Riise and England goalkeeper James spent more than they earned. The late Maradona declared bankruptcy when his debts reached 50 million euros.
Shady individuals plan to take over world football. The Super League aims to distribute 15 billion euros, unsupported by real income. As we see from players’ expenditures, raising salaries hasn’t made them smarter. Give a footballer 10 million instead of one, and he’ll blow that money, much like lottery winners. The festival of foolish purchases will continue, as salaries aren’t tied to real club revenues.
Is there any point in signing football’s death warrant by pouring in money unsupported by real income when up to 70% of all billions are spent on player salaries, who lack the brains to start profitable businesses and not buy things that will depreciate in a few years? Why risk football by entrusting almost all the money to idiots like Pogba and Neymar? This question needs to be raised, as football might face the bankruptcy of entire leagues.
Ronaldo’s Extravagant Expenditures
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the richest athletes in the world and the wealthiest footballer on the planet. In terms of income, media presence, and popularity, only Lionel Messi can compare to the Portuguese star. However, Ronaldo’s net worth is still estimated to be higher than Messi’s. With great income comes significant expenditure. Like all stars, Ronaldo prefers driving luxury cars and living in mansions. Cars and real estate are his biggest expenditures.
Bugatti Chiron – 2.4 Million Euros
Early in his career, Ronaldo wasn’t that obsessed with luxury cars. However, at some point, his car collection began to grow rapidly, now boasting over 20 models. One of his most expensive purchases is the Bugatti Chiron, which he bought for 2.4 million euros.
This model hit the market in 2016 and was one of the fastest cars at the time. Naturally, Ronaldo couldn’t ignore such a machine. The base model was priced at around 1.9 million euros, but “CR7” opted for a more advanced model, costing half a million more.
In 2016, the Bugatti Chiron became the most expensive car in Ronaldo’s collection, surpassing the first Bugatti Veyron by nearly 400,000 euros.
Two Mansions in Manchester – 3.5 Million and 7 Million Euros
At the start of the 2021/22 season, Ronaldo returned to Manchester United. The star forward decided to settle in a mansion near the city worth 7 million euros.
However, he soon swapped this expensive villa for a slightly less luxurious one. Shortly after, Ronaldo moved into a mansion worth 3.5 million euros, also near Manchester.
The new house was half the size of the previous one but had a more convenient layout. Ronaldo also liked that the new property had several gyms, a cinema, a private lake, several pools, and, of course, a small garage for four cars.
Villa in Madrid’s La Finca – 7.1 Million Euros
Ronaldo played for Real Madrid from the 2009/10 to 2017/18 seasons. During this time, “CR7” settled in the Spanish capital, buying an incredible mansion of one square kilometer. This villa cost Ronaldo 7.1 million euros and is located in the elite La Finca district. Only the richest people in the country can afford such luxury.
After Real, Ronaldo moved to Juventus, then returned to Manchester United, and now plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. It is unlikely he will return to Madrid, as Real no longer awaits him. Ronaldo could sell his La Finca mansion for even more than he bought it, but he isn’t in a hurry to part with this expensive villa yet.
Bugatti Centodieci – 10.1 Million Euros
The Bugatti Centodieci is almost Ronaldo’s most expensive purchase. It cost the Portuguese star 10.1 million euros. The base model starts at 8 million euros, but Ronaldo again opted for the most advanced model.
This car is an incredible rarity. In total, the company produced only ten models. It has a capacity of 1600 horsepower, the top speed is 380 km/h, and it can reach 100 km/h in 2.4 seconds. It’s interesting that the car has only a 7-speed gearbox.
Conclusion
Despite the massive earnings, the financial decisions of many footballers are often driven by impulse rather than prudence. This tendency to splurge on non-essential luxury items can lead to financial instability, as evidenced by instances of bankruptcy among former stars. The broader implications of this spending culture suggest that increasing salaries does not necessarily equate to financial wisdom.
As football continues to attract enormous sums of money, the risk of financial mismanagement looms large. There is a need for greater financial education and guidance for players to ensure they can secure their futures beyond their playing careers. The industry should also consider sustainable financial practices to avoid jeopardizing the sport’s economic stability. Ultimately, while the lavish lifestyles of footballers capture public imagination, the importance of financial prudence cannot be overstated in safeguarding the long-term interests of the players and the sport itself.
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