18 Footballers who are successful entrepreneurs

On the field Rio Ferdinand was a class act, and he’s proved a similarly skillful entrepreneur. His FIVE Supply fashion label is “inspired by a love for sportswear, fitness and contemporary football culture.” The label was supplemented with an online magazine, largely focused on Manchester United (unsurprisingly). Speaking of Manchester, Ferdinand also opened Rosso Restaurant & Bar in the city. All of this, and the man still finds time to raise awareness of mental health with touching and insightful documentaries. A true champ. 

Never one for false modesty, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a big man with big ideas. He’s launched his own sportswear brand A-Z, and modelled the clothing himself. Then you have the mobile game, Zlatan Legends. According to the website: “Zlatan Legends (the official game of Zlatan Ibrahimović) is an exciting arcade sports game that rewards both skill and determination! Race against other players in a unique intergalactic tournament of epic proportions. Rise in fame and take the podium as the champion of the universe!” Or, in other words, Zlatan. 

The talented Saha has always been one of the game’s good guys, and his business ventures show why. In 2014, Saha launched Axis Stars, an online platform aimed at helping young athletes navigate their way through an often cut-throat industry. It helps members check contracts, find trustworthy agents, and generally ensure their newfound wealth isn’t squandered. Think of Axis Stars as a social network for professional athletes – and a brilliant idea.       

Deserves a shout out for being cited by Forbes as “the only soccer player to earn more off than on the pitch.” (Can that really be true?) It’s not a question of who sponsors Neymar so much as who doesn’t sponsor Neymar: Nike, Gillette, Panasonic and Beats by Dre are just a few of the major players behind the player. Bonus points for his staggering £200m transfer to PSG that launched football finances into a whole new stratosphere. Neymar doesn’t play the game; Neymar is the game. 

The man referred to by Liverpool fans as “God” has established himself as quite the property mogul over the last couple of decades. During his later spell at Manchester City, a regular chant was “We all live in a Robbie Fowler home” (to the tune of Yellow Submarine). Fowler reportedly owns nearly 100 homes and apartments, valued at approximately £30m – although his wife was the driving force behind the investments while Robbie earned his crust on the pitch. He even opened a Property Academy to teach people how to follow in his footsteps, at a £1000 per head.

A brilliant striker in his all-too-fleeting prime, the 18-year-old Owen could have probably given some of his horses a close race (maybe not over hurdles). Always a lover of the equines, Michael converted a cattle barn into a training yard with 30 horses in 2007. Today, Manor House Stables is a state-of-the-art facility which races horses all over the country. Well, they say you should do what you love. 

He's won every major trophy, domestically and internationally. He's married to Shakira. His blue eyes could melt an iceberg. And it turns out Gerard Pique is a decent gambler as well. Pique is one of the top 150 poker players in Spain, winning £94,000 at recent tournaments. (Or approximately 72% of his weekly wage.) He also owns gaming company Kerad Games and a 27% share in Bas Alimentaria, an additive-free Catalan meat company. Nicely played, Gerard.

Joleon Lescott, fashion designer? You better believe it. He isn't unsuccessful, either: the Lescott Steward menswear label was bought by Harvey Nichols in 2013. Encompassing print T-shirts, ripped denim jeans and a range of knitwear, the look is bold and colourful – think footballer chic for a night on the town. From Villa Park to the Paris front row? If Kanye West can do, why not Joleon?

As well as a Champions League winner (!), Ryan Betrand is quite the entrepreneur. Last year he launched fintech brokerage firm Silicon Markets, offering AI technology products to traders and retail investors. Impressive. He also co-owns FootiEmoji with former Chelsea teammate and all-round good egg John Terry – an app that allows users to send emojis of high-profile footballers. Personally, Ryan, we stick to AI.   

The uncapped German striker may have so far failed to reach superstardom on the pitch but he's reinventing the way we consume snacks in the cinema. Beister has invented the Snaxcup – basically a cup with a bowl on top – that allows distracted film watchers to munch their popcorn securely while also enjoying easy access to their drink. No more groping around beneath your seat and cursing as you knock over your Coke. A set of 25 Snaxcups cost £9.50 which is clearly money well spent. 

It's fair to say Ronaldo hasn't done badly for himself. As well as posing in his underpants  – and presumably earning a small fortune in the process – Ronaldo owns two clothing stores and his own shoe brand, modestly entitled "CR7 Footwear". He also recently launched a chain of boutique hotels, entitled (guess what) CR7 Hotels. We don't know if his face adorns all the pillows but we wouldn't bet against it (and certainly not with Pique). 

Iniesta has always been a wonderfully sophisticated player, and he carries this class off the pitch with his wine label Bodega Iniesta. This isn't a case of an endorsement deal: the wine is created in vineyards owned by the Iniesta family. The label was started by Iniesta's father, José Antonio, in 1999 and today is distributed throughout Spain. When the time comes to toast his retirement, you know what to use.   

Whereas some unfairly labelled Frank Lampard as a flat-track bully, it's the housing market making the Chelsea legend the big bucks: his property portfolio is valued at £23m. Lampard owns property across London, Cambridge and Barcelona, and counted Conservative MP Peter Luff among his tenants. He also allowed the mother of his then-girlfriend Elen Rivas to inhabit one of his Barcelona digs, but evicted the 100 year old when the pair broke up. In fairness, it would have been quite awkward... 

Where to begin? Brand Beckham began the moment David lobbed Neil Sullivan from the halfway line, and is now well on the way to world domination. He has brand relationships with everyone from Haig Club to H&M, proving nice guys really do finish first. Of course being disgustingly handsome and captaining England also help. Combined with Victoria's successfully fashion label, the Beckhams are now worth more than the Queen. 

We've covered this in a separate article but it doesn't get any less weird. Mathieu Flamini is worth an estimated £20bn. He co-owns energy company GF Biochemicals, which mass produce a potential replacement for oil called Levulinic Acid. Yes, the player ended his career sitting on the bench at Selhurst Park could feasibly change the face of the energy industry. He might rule the world in 30 years. 

Pele loves an endorsement. Over the years, Brazil's most famous footballer has lent his name to everything – including Viagra. Despite retiring nearly 40 years ago, Pele earns an estimated £22m a year from business deals and endorsements. He evens owns a blend of Brazilian coffee, unimaginatively named 'Cafe Pele'. 

The best player in the world – sorry, Cristiano – found himself in a spot of bother over his taxes recently, but Messi certainly has a shrewd business eye (or good advisers). He owns a large amount of real estate in Spain and Argentina, including a £7.5m gated community in Fighiera. Added to his numerous endorsement and sponsorship deals, Messi is set up for life – provided he learns how to fill out a tax return.