Porsche stands for performance, speed, strength, and athleticism. This draws a comparison with soccer, since the team sport is synonymous with the same attributes. Unsurprisingly, professional soccer players love the German automaker and paparazzi often photograph them driving their Porsche 911s and Porsche Cayennes.
As for the German luxury car manufacturer, it surely loves the association with soccer players, particularly as these athletes come with a massive global audience, and they are international trendsetters, so everything they endorse resonates with soccer fans. Inevitably, some soccer players like former Manchester United and Real Madrid star David Beckham and Paris Saint Germain giant Lionel Messi have become household names and global trendsetters, so brands are desperate to win them over.
Major soccer players are also making brands more relevant, boasting social media engagement and awareness. Just check the new Louis Vuitton ad campaign featuring Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. In a couple of hours, it amassed millions of likes and re-shares. And it’s not just because this is the World Cup season. Actually, the obsession with soccer players lives on for the entire year. According to Newswhip, between August 1, 2021, and October 29, 2021, the media has written about Ronaldo roughly 60,000 times, with over 21 million interactions with those articles. Given the massive success of soccer players, it is hardly surprising that car manufacturers are pursuing them. German central midfielder and World Cup winner, Sami Khedira, for example, became a Porsche “Turbo for Talents,” youth development program ambassador. But Khedira isn’t the only professional soccer player who loves the German brand, so read on to find out which soccer players love their Porsche cars.
These Are The Soccer Players Who Drive Porsche Cars
-1.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=750&dpr=1.5)
Cristiano Ronaldo is thus far the King of the World Cup, being the first male player to score at five World Cups. And while his precise net worth remains a mystery, with some media channels reporting it at $115 million, while others at $500 million, most soccer fans agree that Portugal’s superstar is a wealthy man, so he can afford any car he wants. To that end, Ronaldo has selected to own nothing less than three Porsche vehicles: a Porsche Cayenne, a Porsche 911 Carrera 2S Cabriolet and a Porsche Cayenne Turbo.
Ronaldo’s eternal rival, Lionel Messi, paid $5 million for a condo in Miami's Porsche Design Tower, but his love for the German brand didn’t stop there. As nothing goes better than a Porsche vehicle with a Porsche condo, Messi even bought the car that goes with his new fancy apartment. Accordingly, the Argentine great has a Porsche Panamera Turbo S in his collection.
Porsche 918 Spyder Worth $1 Million
AC Milan star, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is a legend on the field and a Swedish multicultural icon. He famously said, “I represent the new Sweden. I put Sweden on the map. That’s not arrogance, those are facts.” Naturally, this icon is driving one of the most iconic vehicles of all time, the Porsche 918 Spyder, which is worth $1 million. According to Dmarge, Ibrahimovic’s Porsche is a plug-in hybrid convertible equipped with a 4.6-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine paired with two electric motors, that deliver together 875 horsepower and a maximum torque of 944 lb-ft. This supercar can accelerate from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 2.6 seconds, and it can reach the top speed of 214 miles per hour. It is safe to say that the Swedish superstar has nice taste in cars. And let’s not forget that Ibrahimovic also drives a Porsche 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition, which he purchased for his own birthday.
The Porsche 911 GTS Is Significantly Less Expensive Than The Spyder
Another Porsche fan is the former Arsenal player Serge Gnabry, who paid £120,000 for a Porsche 911 GTS. Messi’s friend and former Manchester City striker, Carlos Tevez, also had in his private car collection a white Porsche Panamera. The Argentine superstar made headlines in 2013 when the police caught him driving while being disqualified. Meanwhile, Juventus goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, went for a safe choice, the Matte Black Porsche Cayenne.
When the Brazilian Internal Revenue Service froze Neymar Jr.’s assets in his home country, they also confiscated his white 2011 Porsche Panamera that he won in a bet against his dad. The news would have devastated anyone except Neymar Jr. who went out and purchased a Ferrari. Without a doubt, it pays off to be a young and rich athlete in Europe. And finally, we have not just a player, but an entire football club who professed its love for the German luxury automaker when in 2019, Porsche announced its partnership with the Los Angeles Football Club for the 2020 season. The German automaker purchased the exclusive naming rights of the Directors Box at the Banc of California Stadium.
“We’re delighted to welcome Porsche to the Black & Gold family,” said LAFC President and Co-Owner Tom Penn. “Porsche is an innovative and forward-thinking automotive brand, and we look forward to working together.”
Sources: Newswhips, Dmarge, Porsche, espn, The Guardian, LAFC, allfootballapp