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People are always looking to earn a bit extra. As the case studies have shown, many ambitious professionals opt to create profitable online businesses, whether alongside their regular incomes or as full-time ventures. Despite earning vast sums of money from their contracts, soccer stars do the same. In fact, many of them have made some shrewd moves. 

Whether they play for a Premier League behemoth or they’ve recently hung up their boots, life away from soccer can be tough. Without a routine to follow and anything to take their minds off a damaging defeat, soccer players can become bored and in need of mental stimulation. Likewise, some players enjoy business, while others want to give back to their community. 

For fans who select World Cup fantasy players like Cristiano Ronaldo and explore DraftKings World Cup 2026 odds, some of the heroes they back to come out on top are also taking business-related calls when they’re off the field. Sure, the beautiful game is their main focus, but building a life away from soccer also needs to be looked at. 

CR7 is worth a staggering $1.2 billion

Speaking of Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese hero has a net worth of around $1.2 billion. Ronaldo has a chain of hotels called Pestana CR7, his CR7 Crunch Fitness centers are growing, he has a stake in hair clinic Insparya, and there are numerous private jets he rents out. Also involved in a number of other money-making businesses, Cristiano Ronaldo has certainly come a long way. 

Mathieu Flamini is worth billions 

Now retired, Mathieu Flamini had an excellent career turning out for major sides in England like Arsenal and big clubs in Italy like Milan. However, nobody could’ve predicted that the Frenchman would actually go on to make more money when he decided to call it a day. During his playing career and following his retirement, Mathieu Flamini established his energy company, GF Biochemicals. So far, it has proved to be a successful foray into the energy sector, with the former midfielder said to be worth around £10 billion. For a former soccer player to thrive in such a competitive landscape, Mathieu Flamini deserves all the plaudits he receives. 

Gerard Piqué runs a sports and media investment company 

Gerard Piqué had a fantastic career in the sport. However, he was always open about his passion for business. When his time at Barcelona was up, the Spaniard dived into the business sphere, starting his own sports and media investment group called Kosmos Holding, alongside founding Kings League, a football tournament with video game-like rules.

Lionel Messi has numerous business ventures

For many soccer fans, Lionel Messi is the greatest player they’ve ever witnessed. The Argentina hero, who scored a stunning hat-trick against Algeria in his nation’s opening World Cup game, is also turning it on away from the soccer field. The Barcelona legend and current Inter Miami hero’s business ventures stretch into numerous areas, with his MiM Hotels doing well since 2017, plus a Mas+ by Messi energy drink that is consumed around the world. Messi also has ownership stakes in 525 Rosario Media Company, Play Time Sports-Tech Investment Firm, and El Club de la Milanesa restaurant, plus a range of other projects to his name.

Other soccer players and their side projects 

The examples of soccer players and their booming businesses don’t end there. Wilfried Zaha’s Long Live fashion brand is recording a great deal of success; Chris Smalling has investments in startups from the tech industry and more, while Ryan Bertrand’s fintech company, Silicon Markets, has huge potential.