You probably know your favorite footballers only by their on-pitch masterclasses. But many players have several businesses they run as successfully as their football careers. These footballers continue to show outstanding business acumen and this article takes you through 6 of the top footballer businessmen.
The towering Barcelona is one of the top defenders of his generation. But apart from stopping both man and ball from bypassing him on the pitch, the Spanish national is equally successful off the pitch thanks to his various businesses.
The Spanish centre-back has a company known as Kosmos Global Holding that he uses to invest in different organizations and industries. Pique also owns FC Andorra, a football club that plays in division three of the Spanish Football tier. Apart from his businesses, the player also makes a tidy sum playing poker, whether online poker or otherwise. The European Poker Tour saw him bag $56,000.
And it seems football players have a growing interest in online poker since they offer privacy. They also offer diversity, allowing players to choose from a range of exciting games from the comfort of their devices.
One of the finest midfielders to ever grace a football pitch, Andres Iniesta isn’t just a spectacular passer of the ball. The Spanish national is also a shrewd businessman, a patch he started following toward the end of his career.
The former Barcelona FC man owns a family winery known as Bodega Iniesta. He inherited the family business from his father. But that’s not all! Iniesta is also a shareholder in a company known as FirstVision which he founded with Serge Ibaka, a Spanish NBA star.
The company wants to take sports broadcasting to new heights. This it hopes to do by placing cameras on players’ shirts. This means viewers will have a player’s point of view right from their devices. The technology will give football spectators an immersive experience as well as give young fans a chance to learn from their favorite stars.
You know Saha from his days at Manchester United. His 16-year career ended with a remarkable 117 goals. But he’s not only into goals on the pitch but also off it. The French national founded Axis Stars, which is a social media platform that provides financial advice to athletes, agents, and coaches, ultimately helping them better manage their money.
In light of top stars falling into bankruptcy, this company gives players an open and safe place to talk about their life. From sponsorships and physios to lifestyle and other aspects in their line of work. Some of the top athletes already on Axis Stars are Andy Murray, Florent Malouda, Phil Neville, and Didier Drogba.
Iconic in Spain for the FIFA 2010 World Cup and his time in Barcelona, David Villa is one of the finest strikers the game has seen. After his retirement, however, the Spanish striker bought Queensboro FC, a football team in the USA. Villa bought the team through his company, KraneShares. Queensboro FC is set to make its USL Championship debut this year.
Villa also co-owns DV7 Group. Apart from that, he is the head of Global Football Operations in Odisha FC, a team in the Indian Super League. The retired FC Barcelona striker helps the team in recruitment and overall planning.
There’s no way we would talk about top footballers and their businesses and not discuss one of the best freekick benders. But this doesn’t come as a surprise though. David Beckham was more than a footballer, even in his prime. He was and still is a global icon. This status has seen him bag several endorsement deals worth jaw-dropping amounts of money.
David Beckham also owns DB Ventures Limited along with his wife Victoria Beckham. On top of that, he owns Inter Miami CF, MLS and Salford City, English League Two.
Topping the list of footballers with business acumen is former Marseille, AC Milan, and Arsenal man Mathieu Flamini. He had an extensive 16-year career on the pitch and after retirement, the player along with his partner, Pasquale Granata founded GF Biochemicals. This is a bioscience company, which is also the first to mass-produce levulinic acid. The acid is a bio-friendly replacement that many industries worldwide can use.
The US Department of energy also identified the acid as one of the 12 molecules that could help the world transition to green energy. This innovation also saw Flamini named People of the Year along with others in 2015. Experts predict that the acid will see the company valued at a whopping $22.3 billion somewhere in the future.
Apart from the bioscience company, Flamini and Mesut Ozil own a wellness brand with an interest in sustainable packaging.