Inside the luxury mansions of football’s richest players – where do Lionel Messi, Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo and PSG superstar Neymar spend their time off?
With as many as 60 games played every season, professional footballers are often on the road, spending the better half of a year travelling to stadiums across different cities and countries.
For most top flight football players, visits home are reserved for the off-season. Here’s a look at the luxury mansions where they spend their time off.
Lionel Messi
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Once the season comes to an end, Messi’s expected to head back to his US$7 million mansion in Bellamar, Barcelona. The Mediterranean-style property offers stunning views of the Catalan hills on one side and the coastline on the other, reports Architectural Digest.
The stunning mansion includes a swimming pool, a tennis court and also a football pitch – of course. Messi bought the house in 2009 – the same year he won his first Ballon d’Or, an annual award declaring the world’s best footballer.
Cristiano Ronaldo
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When he returns to his hometown of Madeira in Portugal, Ronaldo stays in a US$9.7 million mansion overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. He bought the property in 2015 and converted it from an abandoned warehouse to a luxurious seven-story abode, according to Business Insider.
Neymar
Known for his extravagant lifestyle off the pitch, Neymar spent the pandemic quarantined in paradise. The Brazilian superstar owns a property worth around US$9 million in his home country.
The 29-year-old’s villa in Rio de Janeiro features everything an athlete desires – a gym, massage room, tennis court and beach volleyball court.
Neymar has his very own helipad built in as well. Where else would he land his Mercedes-Benz Airbus H-145 – a US$15 million purchase, reports Business Insider.
Eden Hazard
A futuristic mansion designed by Spanish architect Joaquin Torres, the house features six bedrooms, a cinema, a swimming pool and even a spa.
Although the 30-year-old has struggled with injuries throughout his time at the club, his monumental purchase proves that he is there to stay. Hazard also owns a remarkable car collection to fill up his garage – his preferred sets of wheels include the Audi R8, the Aston Martin Vanquish and the BMW X6.
Robert Lewandowski
The striker of the year, Robert Lewandowski has played for German club Bayern Munich since 2013. However, even after the better half of a decade, the 33-year-old finds himself heading back to his hometown of Warsaw for holidays.
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He owns a luxury flat in the city worth over US$9 million. It features a wine tasting room, a private cinema and a golf simulator, reports The Sun.
- Real Madrid star Eden Hazard, one of the highest-paid football players in the world, dropped US$12 million on a futuristic mansion in the Spanish capital
- Neymar has a built-in helipad at his Rio de Janeiro, Brazil house, while 2021 Ballon d’Or ceremony’s striker of the year Robert Lewandowski owns a luxury flat in Poland