Africa has given the world many great footballers, which have made quite the names for themselves. Many of them have built impressive careers and amassed big fortunes, but only one of them has managed to get the title of the richest football player in all of Africa. Continue reading to find out who it is this year!
Africa has given the world many great footballers, which have made quite the names for themselves. Many of them have built impressive careers and amassed big fortunes, but only one of them has managed to get the title of the richest football player in all of Africa. Continue reading to find out who it is this year!
Who is the richest football player in Africa?
So who was ranked as the richest footballer in Africa this time? It will probably come as no surprise that it is still the Cameroonian player Samuel Eto’o. He has had this title over the past few years and will probably keep it at least for a few more.
In case you do not know who this is, Samuel Eto’o Fils (born March 10, 1981) is a remarkable football player from Cameroon, who has won four African Player of the Year awards and even a FIFA World Player of the Year award, among numerous others.
Over the years, he has played for more than 10 teams, including Barcelona and Chelsea, and he currently plays for the Turkish team called Konyaspor. Even though he is no longer a part of the Cameroonian National team, which he played for since 1997 until 2014, Eto’o still holds the record of being the leading scorer of all time.
But how exactly did he become this rich? Let’s find out.
Samuel Eto’o’s net worth
The fact that Samuel is the richest African footballer is a sure thing. However, various sources cannot agree on his net worth at all. Different websites have wildly different guesses, ranging from $64 to 98 million. Now, it is often hard to calculate a football player’s net worth, especially due to their frequent movement between teams and leagues, but this is quite unprecedented.
Back in 2011, the player was worth over $50 million on the football market. In 2013, Eto’o even ended up on the Forbes list of 100 of World’s Highest Paid Athletes with almost $25 million annual salary. These days, he is only worth a little under $2 million, as his days of stardom are over.
Nevertheless, Eto’o is still considered to be the richest football player in Africa, as he still has that wealth on him. Samuel continues to enjoy his lavish lifestyle, as is evident from his Instagram page. The same page has also told us that he has an ongoing endorsement deal with MTN, which is sure to bring him quite some money.
When it comes to his assets, there sure are many. For instance, the player owns a gigantic 40-room mansion equipped with a swimming pool, which cost him $18.5 million. In addition to that, he is also a big fan of expensive cars, as his garage houses a Bentley, a Ferrari, a Hummer, a Porsche and a Lamborghini. The footballer once mentioned that driving cars is his own way of relaxation, so he must be very relaxed.
In addition to a successful career in football, Eto’o also has other sources of income. For instance, he has his own fashion brand, which creates a premium clothing line, including, sneakers, caps and shirts. The brand goes by the name of Samuel Eto’o 9, and it mostly consists of Turkey-manufactured menswear.
Samuel also has his own mobile telephone company in Cameroon by the name of Eto’o Telecom. It provides the locals with jobs and business opportunities and gives the Cameroonians who live elsewhere a chance to invest in the business from their home country.
Samuel Eto’o and philanthropy
Like many other big names in football, Samuel does not spend all his hard-earned money on himself. Back in his golden days, he has created the Samuel Eto’o Foundation, which has been around since 2006. The goal of this organization is to provide the necessary means for vulnerable young people and give them better opportunities for their future.
Samuel often gives back to his people in Cameroon, providing various initiatives with necessary funds. One of his latest big donations was to Association Apefev, whom he gave 2.5 million CFA francs. The organization offers opportunities for young girls and women, and this generous donation must have helped them quite a lot.
In addition to that, he founded a football academy to create new football stars out of aspiring young kids. The Samuel Eto’o Laikipia Unity Football Academy, School, and Environmental Education Centre were launched back in 2014 at the Lakipia’s Endana Secondary School.
Eto’o also enjoys creating graphic novels about his life, the goal of which is to inspire young kids to become future leaders.
As you can see, even though Samuel Eto’o’s prime years have passed, he remains the richest football player in Cameroon and the whole of Africa. That said, he is still doing his country and his continent proud by being a great footballer and overall human being. We wish him all the best in the future, and may he remain just as great.