The world's richest footballer, whose net worth exceeds that of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi combined, has revealed the one move he regrets most in his career. Faiq Bolkiah, 26, is a member of the House of Bolkiah and the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah. He is, therefore, one of several heirs to a staggering £20billion fortune - a sum that eclipses Ronaldo's £640m and Messi's colossal £680m net worth.
Despite never having to worry about finances, Bolkiah pursued a football career that, at one point, showed great potential. Born in Los Angeles, the Bruneian spent time with the youth academies of several Premier League teams. He began his football journey at youth level with Newbury, then moved around the academies of Southampton, Reading and Arsenal, even scoring a goal while on trial with the Gunners in the 2013 Lion City Cup. Bolkiah signed a two-year youth contract with Chelsea until 2015, trialled with Stoke City and later inked a three-year pro contract with Leicester City in 2016, although he never made a senior appearance.
The left-winger later signed a deal with Portuguese side Maritimo in 2020 but once again failed to make the first team and was demoted to their reserve side. He played just one game in the U23s before transferring to Thai club Chonburi in 2021. Currently playing for Ratchaburi in the Thai League 1, Bolkiah has expressed regret about his transfer to Maritimo, telling Main Stand: "I had about three or four offers after Leicester.
