Luxury watches of football stars top $2 million as Neymar and Messi buy rare models
Elite football stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Lionel Messi maintain private high-end horology vaults containing individual timepieces valued at up to $2.1 million, or roughly R$ 10.7 million. Their personal inventories assemble rare designs from premier manufacturers including Richard Mille, Franck Muller, Patek Philippe, and Jacob & Co., establishing these mechanical instruments as prominent financial assets and status symbols across global executive markets.
Brazilian forward Neymar holds one of only thirty pieces ever produced of the Richard Mille RM 68-01 Tourbillon Cyril Kongo, an edition hand-painted by graffiti artist Cyril Kongo that commands secondary market valuations between $2.1 million and up to R$ 11 million. During a break in New York in June 2026, the athlete visited the flagship showroom in person to acquire a Jacob & Co. Astronomia Dragon & Tiger for $1 million, approximately R$ 5.5 million, built in 18-karat gold with 286 diamonds and three-dimensional hand-carved sculptures.
“A longtime friend of the brand, Neymar took time out to stop by the New York boutique to personally choose a Jacob & Co. timepiece before stepping onto the world stage this summer,” said Jacob Arabo, founder of Jacob & Co., upon confirming the in-store acquisition. The transaction reinforced the forward’s relationship with high-jewelry horology houses through personalized, direct purchases in Manhattan.
Haute horology pieces worn by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Al-Nassr forward and Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo counts the Franck Muller Imperial Tourbillon among his highest-priced pieces, with market estimates placing it near $2 million, or approximately R$ 10.2 million. The watch incorporates 474 baguette-cut diamonds alongside 70 rubies set through invisible gem-setting, an exacting mechanical process in which stones cover the surface completely without visible metal prongs. His collection also features a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Rainbow valued at $600,000, or about R$ 3 million, a reference distinguished by its graded sapphire bezel that is also favored by French forwards.
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Inter Miami forward and Argentina captain Lionel Messi directs his acquisitions toward classic references produced by Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe. The centerpiece of his horological choices remains the Grand Complications reference 5531R World Time Minute Repeater in rose gold, currently valued at $1.9 million, which corresponds to approximately R$ 9.7 million.
Documented valuations across premier football figures
- Richard Mille RM 68-01 Cyril Kongo owned by Neymar: $2.1 million (approximately R$ 10.7 million), with worldwide distribution limited to 30 units.
- Franck Muller Imperial Tourbillon owned by Cristiano Ronaldo: $2 million (roughly R$ 10.2 million), adorned with 474 diamonds and 70 rubies.
- Patek Philippe Grand Complications 5531R owned by Lionel Messi: $1.9 million (around R$ 9.7 million), crafted in rose gold.
- Jacob & Co. Astronomia Dragon & Tiger bought by Neymar: $1 million (about R$ 5.5 million), featuring 286 diamonds.
- Richard Mille RM 27-01 and RM 022 owned by Pep Guardiola: estimated between 1.3 million euros and $1.5 million (R$ 7 million to R$ 7.6 million).
Touchline timepieces and strict ownership agreements
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola consistently wears premier mechanical creations while directing matches from the technical area. The tactician has appeared on matchdays with both the Richard Mille RM 022 Tourbillon Aerodyne and the ultra-light RM 27-01 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal, an engineering project created for the Spanish tennis champion that weighs just 18.83 grams, was limited to fifty units globally, and carries an estimated market value of $1.5 million, or R$ 7.6 million.
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The luxury timepiece market operates commercial partnerships with active superstars, as seen with French forward Kylian Mbappé serving as an official ambassador for Hublot, and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland under contract with Swiss brand Breitling. In contrast, acquiring flagship models from heritage houses like Patek Philippe requires long-standing client history and explicit non-resale clauses, including formal commitments not to place the watch on the secondary market for at least three years following collection.
Representatives for Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Messi, and Guardiola decline to release exhaustive manifests of their private timepiece collections to the public. These confidentiality protocols remain standard practice to satisfy security standards and comply with specialized insurance policies covering high-value personal assets.
