Faiq Bolkiah: Career, Net worth, Awards & Family

Faiq Bolkiah is one of the few names in the beautiful game of football that have ties with royalty. The youngest member of the Brunei Royal family, who is said to be the richest football player in the world, somehow found the passion for the game during his childhood, years before he began representing his home nation, Brunei, on the international level. Currently playing as a winger for Ratchaburi FC in Thai League 1, Bolkiah has had a modest year in the 2024-25 season at the Asian club. Despite featuring in only five games so far for his side across all competitions, mostly as a substitute and recording only one assist so far, his ambition for a great future has not been thwarted even a little, given his long-lasting love for football, which has long won over money.

Born in the city of Los Angeles, America, Faiq Bolkiah chose football as his career while growing up in the neighborhood of Berkshire before honing his skills in the youth academies of Southampton, Leicester City, and Chelsea, respectively. While most of the players weigh up their career trajectories on the basis of monetary gain, the player remains connected to the game regardless of the financial incentives, as he is already a wealthy man, and his financial strength preceded Faiq Bolkiah career. After many top international sports magazines put him ahead of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the bracket of the richest footballers in the world, fans started asking questions about him, especially about Faiq Bolkiah net worth. In this article, we will go through the details of his bio, career stats, salary, and early life.

Who is Faiq Bolkiah?

Faiq Bolkiah is a popular name in football, not for his sporting talent, but for his massive wealth and Brunei royal family connections. Born in Los Angeles, USA, Bolkiah's age is currently 27. USA. He, however, was raised in England, where he received his formal education and football training. Let's take a look at the table below to understand who is Faiq Bolkiah.

Faiq Bolkiah Net Worth

Faiq Bolkiah net worth is a figure that can only be imagined in a dream for a football player, even at this time. According to Forbes Magazine, he has a staggering estimated net worth of around $20 billion, as of 2025, a number that has not been achieved even by the legends of the game like Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, who top the list of the highest earners amongst the athletes almost every year. However, he has not earned all of this money from his footballing ventures. Thanks to Faiq Bolkiah's family, the Brunei Royal, he was born with enough monetary support.

What is Faiq Bolkiah Salary?

Faiq Bolkiah's career in football started out of a passion for the game. As a result, the pressure of earning money to make ends meet was not there for him, as the family wealth worked as a blessing for him, helping him to stay focused only on the improvement of his play rather than thinking about salary. As per Capology, on the Thai League 1 club, Ratchaburi FC, Faiq Bolkiah's salary currently stands at $35,000 per year, which is the lowest in the senior player category at the club.

Faiq Bolkiah Playing Style and Strengths

Faiq Bolkiah has never been a regular operator on the pitch due to his limited time, be it at Leicester or Chelsea, or in Thai League 1. As he is a senior player at Ratchaburi FC, having already represented his country Brunei as a captain of the team, Faiq Bolkiah playing style and strengths have been observed closely by managers and football watchers. He is a left-footed winger who also has the mettle and talent to operate on the front to lead an attack. Known for his direct play, agility, and pace, his favorite place of operation is in the flanks, where he can dribble through the tight defense to stretch the play. Just like a premium attacker, he likes to cut inside to shoot or deliver crosses into the box. His ball control and quick feet make him a great adversary and threat in one-on-one situations.

Faiq Bolkiah Family and Early Life

Faiq Bolkiah is one of the few billionaire footballers who are currently active in the sport. The Ratchaburi winger was raised in the vibrant sports region of Berkshire, where he found his passion for football and decided to leave the comfort of the palace to pursue a career in this. His rise from a kid of a rich background to the arena of the game is not a simple story of a young teen dreaming about the glory of the game.
Faiq Bolkiah is the son of Prince Jefri Bolkiah and the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, and this connection is where his immense wealth comes from.

Backed by the financial might of a country's vast kingdom, the 27-year-old forward never felt any pressure on his shoulder during his pursuit to become a professional footballer unlike other young players who get drenched in sweat months after months to make it to the top of the crop, as he has a massive fortune tied to his life due to his royal family connection. For his financial strength to back him up in case the idea of being a footballer didn't work, the Brunei international started juggling the ball at a young age in a local club that prepared him to face the hurdles of the game in future, no matter who he was.

Who is Faiq Bolkiah Girlfriend?

Faiq Bolkiah reportedly doesn't have a girlfriend or wife as he is still single. In an interview with a media outlet, the Brunei international said he was not in a relationship as his sole focus was on football. As of now, there are no credible sources linking him to a female partner. It is understood that no one in Faiq Boliah's family of the Brunei Royal kingdom has ever been engaged in a relationship.

Faiq Bolkiah Career

Having started his career at AFC Newbury, Faiq Bokiah went on to learn the basics of football and set himself to become a professional in the game by moving to some of the best youth academies of some Premier League clubs. It was clear that he had huge potential to become an elite sportsman. However, despite coming into the limelight during his four-year stint with the Foxes, he couldn't make a cut in the top division. In 2020, Bolkiah left England to make a switch to the Thai top division league after spending a few years in Portugal. Currently playing for Ratchaburi FC as a forward, the 27-year-old winger also played for his country, Brunei, and led them as a captain several times.

Club Career

In 2009-2015: Faiq Bolkiah began his uncharted journey in football at AFC Newbury, and at the age of 11, he joined the Southampton academy, which was not a small feat for a figure like him with no ties to the game. After spending over a year, he left them and moved to Chelsea, another big club in the English League, making his impact on the game at that time, which led big clubs to keep a close eye on him. In 2014, Boliah signed a two-year contract with the London Blues and showed constant improvement in the youth setup. He also played in the Lion City Cup in Singapore.
In 2016-2020: Upon expiration of his contract with Chelsea, Bolkiah moved to Leicester City and signed a three-year contract with them, and stayed with them until 2020. This is the period where Faiq Bokiah's career hit its peak. He showed some glimpses of a bright future before losing sight of those later on.
In 2020-2025: After failing to impress the big clubs in Europe, Faiq Bolkiah left England and joined Maritimo, Portugal's Primeira Liga outfit. Having made his debut for the club's U-23 side against Sporting CP, Boliah started to feel the heat of the game away from England. In 2021, he left Portugal and ended up joining the Thai League 1 club Chonburi FC. After spending two years with them, he moved to another club in the league, Ratchaburi FC, and since then, he has been with them despite earning limited playing time.

International career

There is nothing exciting about Faiq Bolkiah's career at the international level except a lot of honour and pride. While his club career hasn't quite gone as well as he initially thought, he has led the country of Brunei through all youth levels before becoming the captain of the senior team once. It's a huge honor and a respectful job for any player, irrespective of their background. However, for the majority of his career, people have believed that Bolkiah is popular because of his royal connection and his huge wealth.

Faiq Bolkiah Awards and Achievements

If we look at Faiq Bolkiah's award tally, there is nothing significant. He has not won any major titles with any clubs he has been a part of. The only trophy of Faoiq Bolkiah's career came in 2016 when he represented Leicester City in their Premier League U-18 Cup-winning campaign.