The 23-year-old is a goal keeper in more ways than one.
Although Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar are among the highest-paid athletes active today, the richest professional football player is Faiq Bolkiah with an estimated net worth of $20 billion.
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Bolkiah is the son of the Prince of Brunei and the nephew of the incumbent Sultan.
Rather than simply wait to inherit his fortune from lucking out in the birth lottery, the football player chose to stand on his own merits in a leveled playing field.
Here’s a chronicle of his attempts to build a name for himself.
New home
Bolkiah had moved to Thailand’s Chonburi Football Club from Portugal’s Club Sport Maritimo as of the 2021-22 season’s 2nd leg.
“I feel good and very happy with my work. But now I try to work hard, so that my body is as fit as possible. But with the two games that I have played, I am very happy to help the team and the two games that I have played on the field,” Bolkiah said in a Chonburi Football Club post dated January 24.
Currently, the football club ranks 5th in the country.
“As for the adjustment of life in Thailand, I like Thailand very much. Thai people are very friendly to me. For my real goal is to help Chonburi to win the most every game as much as I can,” Bolkiah declared.
Preparation
Prior to his Thailand move, the 23-year-old had failed to make a senior first-team appearance, which led the Maritimo to drop him.
Nonetheless, he had extensive experience on the field owing to his time at professional football clubs of the Premier League including Chelsea, Arsenal, and Leicester City.
He had received eligibility to represent the United States owing partly to his dual citizenship. Though he ultimately represented Brunei at the 2015 Southeast Asian Games among other opportunities.
He finished his education at the United Kingdom’s Bradfield College, which is proud to call him their alumnus.
Banner Photo via Faiq Bolkiah’s Instagram
