While Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two of the richest soccer stars in the world, their net worth don’t even come close to Faiq Bolkiah. Ronaldo and Messi, who are two of the most popular athletes of his time, have amassed massive net worths with their on-field and off-field earnings. However, both Messi and Ronaldo’s net worths are put to shame by the ludicrous net worth of Faiq Bolkiah.
Faiq Bolkiah is an American-Bruneian who plays for the Ratchaburi in Thai Ligue 1. He also plays for the Brunei national team and has even captained the side. However, Bolkiah’s salary at Ratchaburi is extremely low to what Ronaldo earns at Al-Nassr. According to reports, Bolkiah’s yearly salary at Ratchburi is around $148,000. In comparison, Ronaldo’s annual salary at Al-Nassr is around $200 million.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi‘s current annual salary at Inter Miami is approximately $55 million per year. However, some reports suggest that by the time Messi’s contract with Inter Miami ends, Messi’s net worth will surpass the $1.5 billion mark. Currently, the Argentine ace’s net worth is estimated to be around $600 million.
For those who are wondering how Bolkiah‘s net worth is much more than Ronaldo and Messi with such less salary, it is because the former is a member of the Brunei royal family. Faiq’s father, Jefri Bolkiah, is the Prince of Brunei while his uncle, Hassanal Bolkiah, is the current Sultan of Brunei. Combined, the net worth of the royal family of Brunei is estimated to be around $20 billion.
Faiq Bolkiah reveals the biggest regret of his soccer career
While Faiq Bolkiah is currently playing at Ratchaburi, he was at one point playing for some of the biggest clubs in the world. Bolkiah started his soccer career for the youth teams of some big Premier League clubs like Chelsea, Southhampton, and Leicester City. However, after not making the cut for their senior team, Bolkiah joined the Portuguese club Maritimo.
Following his disappointing stint at Maritimo, Bolkiah was forced to leave the club and join the Thai side, Chonburi FC. In a later interview, Bolkiah admitted that his move to Maritimo wasn’t a good decision. He said, “I had about three or four offers after Leicester. Maritimo said to me ‘You’ll come here, you’ll play’ so I said ‘I just want to be here for a year. The main thing for me is I want to play.’ Obviously, that didn’t happen.“
He further stated that he felt that he was cheated by Maritimo which ultimately cost him his career. He stayed at Chonburi for two years from 2021 to 2023. Earlier this year, Bolkiah left Chonburi and signed for another Thai club, Ratchaburi.
Faiq Bolkiah’s soccer stats
To sum up, Faiq Bolkiah’s soccer career has been full of ups and downs. From a promising youth career to facing disappointment later on, Bolkiah has seen it all. The 25-year-old star’s position on the field is a winger. While playing in the youth team of Southampton, Bolkiah played five matches in the UEFA Youth League. Although he didn’t score a single goal, he did manage to provide one assist.
⚽ Debut goal of Faiq Bolkiah with King Dragon 🟠🐉
🎥 : Thai League#ThaiLeague #RBFC #FaiqBolkiah#SNESports#AGymNutrition#KelmeMalaysia pic.twitter.com/2IiHQEcP8B
— SNEsports (@SNE_Sports) September 17, 2023
His career finally took off when he made the switch from Maritimo to Chonburi. Playing for Chonburi, Bolkiah made a total of 32 appearances where he scored two goals and registered four assists. To date, Bolkiah has made only eight appearances for his current club, Ratchaburi, and has scored one goal. For the national team, Bolkiah has scored one goal in six appearances, making his debut back in 2016 (via Transfermarkt).