World's richest footballer worth over £15billion set to make transfer move

The footballer known as the world's wealthiest player is on the brink of joining a new club. Faiq Bolkiah, formerly of Chelsea's academy, is set to sign with India's M-League for Brunei side, DPMM FC, in the January transfer window. Despite not being a household name, Faiq's financial status in the sport surpasses those considered football royalty. The wealth of Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and Lionel Messi pales in comparison to Faiq's, with the Ratchaburi FC player being the heir to a £15 billion fortune.

As the son of Prince Jefri Bolkiah and nephew of the Sultan of Brunei, 27-year-old Faiq didn't need to succeed as a footballer to make a living. However, Bolkiah demonstrated a strong determination to reach the top from an early age. Born in California, the winger moved to the UK to pursue his football career, having spells with the Blues and Southampton. He also attended the prestigious Bradfield College, which costs £58,000 per year.

He later signed for Leicester City, but despite being with the Foxes for four years, he never made a senior appearance. After leaving the UK, Faiq played for Maritimo in Portugal before moving to Thailand where he played for Chonburi FC and then transferred to Ratchaburi. He has also earned six caps for Brunei.

Ratchaburi are now preparing to release Faiq, and DPMM, who returned to the M-League this year, have shown interest in signing him. Despite his enormous wealth, Faiq appears to have consistently demonstrated a drive that is perhaps rather rare amongst those born into extraordinary riches.

Bolkiah trained at Chelsea's youth academy alongside the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Tammy Abraham and Ruben Sammut, with the latter disclosing just how humble he remained in his desire to play football.

Speaking previously to The Athletic, Sammut said: "You would never ever have thought he was something like the 12th in line to the throne. You would not have thought of him as royalty.

"He was a humble guy, trying every day like every academy player. We used to joke he didn't need to play football but he wanted to play because he loved football."

Following the majority of 2024 spent recovering after a collision with a Police Tero defender, Faiq posted on Instagram with a message of determination - once more showing remarkable mental strength.

"Thank you for all your kind messages," he said regarding the injury. "I am devastated with the news I received a few days ago. But I will stay positive and work hard to come back stronger inshallah."

His persistence proves quite remarkable given his uncle, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, 79, reportedly possesses wealth of around £37bn. Faiq stands to inherit a fortune that will render him roughly 40 times wealthier than David and Victoria Beckham, who boast a joint net worth of £500m. His impending fortune is also 30 times over the £600m net worth of Al-Nassr star Ronaldo.

The Brunei Royal family's vast assets include oil and gas reserves as well as luxury properties. The Sultan was first crowned the 29th Sultan of Brunei in 1968 and is now recognised as the longest-reigning monarch in the world, following the death of Queen Elizabeth in 2022.

He primarily resides in the Istana Nurul Iman, in Brunei, which is the world's largest palace, boasting a staggering 1,788 rooms. Under his reign, Brunei has achieved its status as one of the globe's wealthiest nations.