In the world of sports, soccer players are one of the highest-paid athletes in the world, and a player can earn over £500, 000 per week.
In context, it is evident that a lot of players and people may see soccer as an easy way out of poverty. It is on record that a lot of players used their financial situations as a drive for success through soccer.
It Is a stereotype that’s taking ground in soccer discussions and the social lifestyle of a lot of players.
While this can be true that a lot of soccer players came from muddy streets and broken homes as well as poverty into stardom, there are some players who were lucky to come from rich homes and were born with silver spoons in their mouths.
These players still went on to have successful soccer careers despite their backgrounds and not being burdened by financial expectations.
In this article as we identify 11 players who were already rich before becoming big names in soccer
Note: This list of the soccer players who grew up rich includes past and present soccer players.
1. Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo is a man who wouldn’t have needed to work to live a decent life, and it’s not surprising that for the majority of his career, he stated he wasn’t playing for the money.
Maybe the rich lifestyle also influenced his classy style of play, which is graceful.
The former Italian midfielder hardly breaks a sweat or runs a lot as a midfielder.
So what was his background like? Pirlo already had a stake in his father’s metal trading company which his father started in 1982.
Andrea Pirlo is regarded as one of the best passers in soccer history, and wrote one of the best soccer autobiographies.
2. Gerard Piqué
Former Barcelona and Spain defender Gerard Piqué’s grandfather, was a vice president of Barcelona.
His father is a businessman, while his mother is a medical worker.
This meant that Piqué’s childhood was well spent, attending some of the best schools and even starting his career as a player-student.
Not many players had that privilege while growing up.
Piqué won everything possible in soccer, including Euros, World Cup, La Liga, UEFA Champions League, and more. He married and recently divorced Shakira.
The Spaniard is also business minded and is one of the few soccer players who own their own soccer club.
3. Hugo Lloris
Hugo Lloris’s father, Luke Lloris, is of Catalan descent but made his money from banking and also as an international lawyer.
His mother also was a lawyer during her life, and that made it easy for Lloris to combine education and soccer when he was in Nice.
At the end of his international career, he boasts of a rich trophy cabinet, none of which he bought with money.
4. Robin van Persie
Robin Van Persie came from a family rooted in arts. His parents were designers and sculptors; no wonder some of his goals were artistic.
While growing up, his parents sent him to affluent schools and supported his career financially as well.
When he moved to Arsenal, he settled in an affluent part of North London.
He would go on to play for Arsenal and Manchester United before leaving England for Fenerbahce in Turkey and then will turn into Feyernoord in the Netherlands, where he retired.
5. Gianluca Vialli
Gianluca Vialli is one of soccer’s most prominent rich kids after he was born into a wealthy home of a wealthy father, Gianfranco Vialli.
He grew up In an easy lifestyle and enjoyed the wealth of his father to the extent of combining education with football in his first seasons.
He eventually played for the Italian national team, as well as several top clubs including Cremonese, Sampdoria, Juventus, and Chelsea.
6. Kaká
Kaká is one of the most respected footballers in the world and enjoyed a financially secure childhood.
Brazil is one of the world’s biggest countries by size and population, but the majority live in poverty.
Many big Brazilian legends started from very poor backgrounds, sometimes playing soccer barefooted on the streets before their big breakthrough.
Kaká can’t relates thanks to his parents.
One of them was a teacher, and the other a civil engineer.
7. Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard is widely recognized as one of the most successful and talented soccer players in the world.
The Chelsea legend’s place on this list is thanks to his very interesting soccer family.
His father is Frank Lampard Snr., who was a former soccer player and a West Ham United legend.
Lampard is also related to Harry Redknapp, whose son Jamie Redknapp is his cousin. Big names everywhere.
8. Mario Götze
Mario Götze’s father is a professor who is a professor at the Dortmund University of Technology.
His father is sometimes credited for his move through the soccer pyramids.
Götze played for some of the biggest clubs in Germany, including Bayern and Borussia Dortmund.
He won the World Cup in 2014, scoring the winning goal.
9. Oliver Bierhoff
Oliver Bierhoff is fondly remembered as the first player to score a golden goal in the history of major international soccer.
The ex-German player was born into a wealthy family thanks to the wealth of his father, which comes majorly from his grandfather Edward Bierhof who was a lawyer.
Ralf, who is Oliver’s father, became an energy mogul after a short-lived goalkeeping career due to injuries.
However, Bierhoff remains one of Germany’s best strikers in history, with 37 goals in 70 games for the national team.
10. Patrick Bamford
Bamford is another English man who grew from a wealthy home.
He could have decided against playing soccer and still ended up decently rich; he may not just be popular.
Patrick Bamford was offered a place at Harvard University, but he turned it down. Besides that, he attended a fee-paying school.
He can speak multiple languages and multiple musical instruments.
He plays the piano, violin, guitar, and saxophone and is conversational in French, Spanish, and German.
11. Faiq Bolkiah
Faiq Jefri Bolkiah is not just one of the soccer players who grew up rich, but also one of the richest soccer players ever.
He is a member of the Bruneian Royal Family and the son of Prince Jefri Bolkiah, the younger brother of Hassanal Bolkiah, the current Sultan of Brunei.
Faiq Bolkiah plays as a winger for Chonburi FC in the Thai League 1 and has also represented and served as the captain of the Brunei national team.
His net worth currently stretches to billions of dollars.
