Over here in the UK our players are renowned for choosing Bentleys, Ferraris and Range Rovers, and usually copy each other with the passing of trends – one minute it’s the Ferrari F430, the next the Bentley Continental GT.
So with this in mind just what do the rest of the globe’s players choose to drive to practice in? From the UK to Italy, Netherlands to Brazil, this is a list of the very best players and the very best of their cars.
Argentina captain and FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is pictured here with his gorgeous Italian beauty. You can’t go too wrong with a white Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale – this limited edition received upgraded parts including brakes and cost in the region of €130,000. The 26-year-old also owns a Mini and a Ferrari F430 – because of his compact size, it’s the Mini that actually suits him best.
Senegalese and Leeds striker, El-Hadji Diouf is certainly a car guy owning an almighty McLaren Mercedes SLR. The twice African Footballer Of The Year also owns a rather revolting gold mirrored Cadillac Escalade and has since acquired a chrome finish SLR – quite simply tasteless.
You either love him for his skills or hate him for his diving and on pitch theatrics, but whatever you make of this Portuguese and Real Madrid forward, Cristiano Ronaldo does have a great taste in cars. From a Porsche to an Audi R8, a Bugatti Veyron to a Bentley Continental GT, Ronaldo has owned virtually every supercar on the market, but I’ve selected his black on black Lamborghini Aventador as it’s the best looking and most exotic out of the bunch.
Mario Balotelli is a striker for Serie A club Milan and the Italian national team. He is renowned for his outlandish appearance on and off the pitch and he adores loves supercars. His garage is home to an Audi R8, a Maserati GranTurismo, a Range Rover Evoque and a Ferrari 458 Italia, but I’ve chosen his Bentley to illustrate just how Balotelli thinks… poor Bentley.
Didier Drogba is an Ivorian forward who is perhaps best known for his time spent at London team Chelsea. He now plays as a forward for Galatasaray in the Süper Lig. The 35-year-old is also the captain and all-time top goal scorer for the Ivory Coast national team.
Drogba owns a black Mini Cooper S, a Ferrari California, a Ferrari F430 and this McLaren Mercedes SLR Roadster. I do wonder if Drogba is a car guy buying a convertible SLR – I know many wouldn’t.
This next guy needs no introduction – a Manchester United hero, England leader and now stateside celeb. Yes, it’s David Beckham in a black on black “murdered out” Rolls Royce Phantom. I don’t usually like celebs trying to make the graceful RR something it isn’t, but as the paint is gloss and not matte, Becks just about gets away with this.
Other cars Beckham own range from a 911 to a blacked out Jeep, from his Ferraris to Range Rovers to Bentleys. Like Justin Bieber, Becks has been through the “murdered out” look, customising his Porsche, Range Rover, Jeep and Cadillac Escalade in the same way.
Emmanuel Adebayor is a Togolese forward London team Tottenham Hotspur and the Togo national team. Adebayor has made a name for himself in many teams, such as Metz, Monaco, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Manchester City.
Apart from a Bentley GTC, a Range Rover Sport, an Aston Martin DBS, he owns this eco-friendly Fisker Karma – a popular choice for celebrities at the moment.
Cesc Fàbregas is a Spanish midfielder for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national side.
When it comes to cars this Spaniard likes German quality and design, as he owns both a Mercedes ML and this Audi R8.
Fernando Torres is a Spanish striker for London team Chelsea and his national team. Torres owns a Mercedes M Class, a Mini Cooper S, an Audi Q7, an Aston Martin DBS and this Spanish supercar, the GTA Spano – I don’t know much about the GTA other than it looks pretty good.
Steven Gerrard, MBE is a much-revered captain for both Liverpool and the England team. His amazing leadership qualities and his “never say never” attitude have seen him lead a team to victory on many occasion, chief among them being Liverpool’s Champions League win against AC Milan in 2005. Being three goals down at half time, the scouse leader and his team managed to not only equalise, but they also won 3-2 on penalties.
Gerrard likes Range Rovers and at one point he traded in his older Sport for a £100,000 Overfinch upgrade. His wife drives an Aston Martin DBS and Steven is pictured here with his Jaguar XKR. His other fast cars include a Porsche 911 Turbo, an Aston Martin Vanquish and the Bentley Continental GT.
William Gallas is a French footballer who has previously played for clubs including Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. As it stands he is a free agent, but he sure seems to have earned a few quid whilst playing – this chrome McLaren Mercedes SLR suggests a big wallet but tiny sense of taste.
Brazilian and Barcelona striker Robinho doesn’t think a standard Lamborghini is up to the task, so he opted for the Gallardo LP560-4, a lightweight version with better styling.
Former Manchester United and Netherlands goalkeeper, Edwin Van Der Sar treated himself to a Bentley Continental GT Speed at Christmas – and why not? This luxurious and spacious footballers car can hit 60-mph in 4.3 seconds and tops out at a massive 200-mph – at least he chose this S version over the “oh-so-common” GT.
Sulley Muntari is a Ghana international, and despite spending most of his career in Italy, he did have a stint in the UK at Portsmouth. The Gallardo is a fairly common car within the footy world, although I do like how menacing this one looks in black.
I know this article features players from today, but I simply couldn’t resist featuring this car. Whilst Pele is one of – if not THE – greatest players to have ever graced the pitch, I think his Mercedes W111 is beautiful yet robust, elegant and graceful and in the same league of brilliance. The Brazilian hero looks happy enough next to it anyway.
