Where World Cup 2026 stars invest: Football clubs, technology and crypto

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World Cup 2026 stars invest

Sports clubs become long-term investments

Sport remains the most natural investment destination for professional footballers. It is the industry they know best, with in-depth understanding of its commercial potential and fan base.

France forward Kylian Mbappe, for example, acquired control of Caen through an affiliated investment vehicle in 2024. He also invested in the France SailGP Team, demonstrating that he views sport not only as competition but also as a long-term business opportunity.

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Croatia captain Luka Modric followed a similar path by becoming a co-owner of Swansea City, while Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois invested in KRC Genk, the club where his professional career began.

In each case, the investment goes beyond financial returns, helping players maintain long-term ties to the sport after retirement.

Technology attracts football's biggest names

Technology has emerged as another major investment theme, particularly companies focused on health, artificial intelligence, and digital services.

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo became an investor in WHOOP, the company behind wearable devices designed to monitor physical performance, sleep, and recovery. For one of football's most disciplined athletes, the investment appears a natural fit.He also backed Perplexity, the AI-powered search engine startup.

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Mbappe chose a different segment of the technology market by participating in a funding round for French digital health insurance company Alan. Following the investment, the company's valuation reached approximately $5.8 billion, making it one of Europe's largest technology companies in the sector.

Crypto: Investments and partnerships are not the same

Digital assets occupy a growing place in footballers' portfolios, although it is important to distinguish genuine investments from commercial partnerships.

Mbappe provides one of the clearest examples. In 2022, he became an investor, social impact partner, and ambassador for Sorare, the blockchain-based fantasy football platform built around digital player cards.

Lionel Messi also received an equity stake in Sorare as part of a partnership agreement. In addition, his investment company Play Time participated in a funding round for football-focused Web3 startup Matchday.

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Messi's investment interests, however, extend well beyond digital assets. At the end of 2024, his real estate company, Edificio Rostower Socimi, listed a property portfolio worth approximately $232 million on the Spanish stock market.

Cristiano Ronaldo's crypto story has taken a different direction. His most prominent involvement has been a long-term partnership with Binance, including several NFT collections.

Later, the football star became the target of a class-action lawsuit in the United States seeking more than $1 billion in damages. Plaintiffs argued that Ronaldo promoted Binance products and therefore participated in the sale of unregistered securities.

The case highlighted one of the biggest risks of crypto partnerships: even when an athlete is not an investor, promotional agreements with crypto companies can lead to legal challenges if the platform later encounters regulatory or legal problems.

Building businesses beyond football

The investment decisions of World Cup stars should not be viewed as a blueprint for retail investors. Professional athletes enjoy access to opportunities, networks, and deal flow that are unavailable to most individuals.

Even so, their portfolios offer valuable insight into the industries they believe have the strongest long-term potential.

That may be the biggest shift in modern football. Today's elite players increasingly use their careers not only to earn salaries and sponsorship income but also to build lasting investment portfolios.

The 2026 World Cup therefore showcases more than football itself. It also reflects a new model of the modern athlete, where success on the pitch becomes the foundation for building businesses in technology, healthcare, media, and the crypto industry.

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