It was a short summer for lots of top soccer players. For that reason, a quick getaway became that much more crucial. Of course the summer of 2018 was highlighted by the World Cup. Russia played host to the tournament and it was one of the better displays we’ve seen in a long time filled with drama, heroics and lots of underdogs dethroning top tier sides. With all that craziness several players were more than ready and willing to hit the beach as their club season loomed only weeks away.
In this article we take a look at some of the preferred destinations chosen by players this past summer. We’ll also look at other unique and luxurious vacations taken years prior by other major stars. Among the destinations includes the typical trips most athletes love such as Ibiza, Dubai, Miami and Mykonos. However we’ll also take a look at other surprising hot spots these players took to, such as South Africa, Mauritius Islands and Porto Cervo, Sardinia. Tastes are definitely diverse as we feature vacation spots from around the world in this article.
Enjoy the article folks and like always, be sure to share it with a friend. Without further ado here are 20 luxurious vacation destinations these soccer stars love to visit. We begin with Lionel Messi and one of his favorite vacation spots;
20 Lionel Messi - Ibiza, Spain
Ibiza isn't a destination meant only for party animals. Numerous soccer stars love to spend their off-season in the area. That includes the likes of Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ozil and Sergio Ramos, just to name a few.
Messi is such a fan of the destination, so much so that he decided to purchase a hotel. The Es Vive includes a luxury pool and rooftop bar. The hotel is stunning on the inside and out, however it doesn’t come cheap. The hotel cost a whopping $700 per night. It isn’t a hotel destination for the average Ibiza party animal, that’s for sure. Ironically, rival Cristiano Ronaldo also recently purchased a hotel. The battle between the two continues!
19 David Beckham - Whistler, British Columbia
Vacations aren’t just about sun and beaches; just ask the Beckham family. Earlier this year the family returned to Whistler, British Columbia. They took to the slopes going on a winter holiday family vacation.
David had a blast posting a snowboarding video alongside his young 13 year old son. The rest of the family enjoyed some ski time, although Victoria did not participate due to a small fracture to her foot. Nonetheless she enjoyed her time at the stunning residence that the family stayed at. Just seeing snow on the ground is a unique experience for the family and something they don’t get to see all that often.
18 Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Cannes, France
As you likely know by now, Zlatan enjoys the finer things life has to offer. One of them is a trip to the beautiful part of France, Cannes. Ibra lived it up during the trip jumping from a private yacht and into the water.
Such a trip certainly doesn’t come cheap. Restaurants tend to be fairly pricey; however some of the scenes in the area are truly postcard-worthy. Lerins Island and Ile Sainte-Marguerite can drop anyone’s jaw. Ile Saint-Honorat is another beautiful destination; it’s a wooded island and a beautiful tourist attraction area. If you love stunning beach views as well, Cannes is definitely for you.
17 Luka Modric – Porto Cervo, Sardinia
It was a busy summer to say the least for Croatian soccer star Luka Modric. Not only did he lead his nation to a Finals appearance at the World Cup, but he was also linked to rumors of a swap joining the Italian side, Inter Milan. Adding fuel to the fire Modric enjoyed a well deserved trip to Italy. His destination of choice was a good one, the beautiful Porto Cervo, Sardinia.
Luckily for fans of Real Madrid his only time spent in Italy was on vacation. However with various Croatians playing with Inter Milan, look for the transaction possibility to resurface come the next transfer window.
16 Harry Kane – Bahamas
Similar to Luka Modric it was a busy summer for England’s top striker. The European country enjoyed a surprising World Cup tournament finishing in 4th place. Kane ended up taking home the honors for the Golden Boot given to the player with the most goals. In doing so he solidified his status as one of the great goal scorers of the modern day.
Things were a little different for Kane last summer. Instead of scoring goals on the pitch he was enjoying his engagement alongside fiancée, Kate Goodland. The couple took to the beautiful Bahamas beach settings. Without a doubt it’s a trip the couple won’t soon forget.
15 Kylian Mbappe – Ibiza, Spain
Perhaps the young 19 year old sensation took some advice from Lionel Messi, booking a trip to the same location as his idol. Ibiza, Spain is one of the most frequently visited spots among football stars. Celebrating his World Cup victory Mbappe fully indulged enjoying beach and yacht parties. He was also caught getting close to a certain mystery female.
Among the other notable things to take place on his trip was a hilarious coincidence running into another popular soccer star, Sergio Aguero. It must have been an awkward conversation considering Mbappe played a crucial hand in getting Sergio's nation eliminated from the World Cup tournament.
14 Gerard Pique - New York City
Pique enjoyed a recent family vacation alongside his wife Shakira, and children. The couple visited the destination for the winter holidays. Among their notable stops included a court-side visit at a New York Knicks game. Several soccer stars have a big interest when it comes to anything NBA-related.
Pique might make a permanent switch to North American sooner rather than later. With his career winding down he spoke about the possibility of joining the MLS soon;
“I read that the MLS is the seventh biggest league in terms of stadium attendances, fans are increasingly hooked on soccer in the United States and it would be an attractive option in a few years.”
13 Gigi Buffon - Mauritius Islands
Alongside his beautiful partner Ilaria D’Amico, the Italian goalkeeper took a trip to the beautiful Mauritius Islands this past January. Although Turin has beautiful weather in the summer it does tend to get a lot colder during the winter months. Buffon made all the headlines on the trip for his bathing suit choice. Let’s just say it was a revealing choice by the 40 year old goalkeeper who was celebrating his milestone birthday.
Like various others on the list it was a busy summer for Buffon. He finally decided to leave Italy, joining French giants PSG.
12 Antoine Griezmann – Miami, Florida
Not only did Antoine vacation in Miami but one of the top soccer stars in the world also claims he plans on calling the destination home one day;
"I love the States," Griezmann said in an interview with France Football. "I want to have an NBA season ticket and go and watch each game with my children. I already see myself there. I don't know which city yet, but why not in Beckham's franchise in Miami. It would be the best to play under Beckham."
He is yet another soccer star likely to move. However for now he’ll continue to play in Spain as one of the best forwards in the game.
11 Isco – Las Vegas, Nevada
Perhaps former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo suggested this US hot spot. Isco got the full Vegas treatment last summer in 2017. Among his notable pit stops included some serious partying at Encore Beach Club. He also enjoyed relax time at the Caesars Palace Hotel – one of the more lavish spots that Vegas has to offer. Isco enjoyed the experience alongside a number of his close friends.
He’s back on the pitch these days staying onboard with Real Madrid. With Ronaldo gone, the Spaniard might have more pressure to perform this upcoming season.
10 Sergio Aguero – Dubai
Alongside former Man City coach Roberto Mancini, striker Sergio Aguero enjoyed some of the finest spots Dubai has to offer just this past March. Among his notable stops included a dinner at the popular Dubai hotspot Nusret Saltbae, the restaurant of the famous cook. Sergio posted a photo at the restaurant alongside Salt Bae and Mancini; the picture definitely made rounds given those involved.
As we discussed earlier Sergio enjoyed a brief Ibiza, Spain trip following a disappointing World Cup experience. He’s hoping to put that in the past as Man City attempts to win the Premier League for a second season in a row.
9 Radja Nainggolan - Mykonos, Greece
Mykonos is a desired destination among athletes and celebrities. Just this past summer several NBA stars took to the island in Greece – several soccer stars also booked the trip. This includes current MLS star Wayne Rooney, and a player who seems to score every game, Mohamed Salah.
The Inter Milan star is another name to enjoy relax time in Greece. It was a controversial decision seeing the midfielder snubbed from the Belgium National team. In fairness the team didn’t miss his presence all that much claiming a third position. However Radja decided to retire from National team duty because of the snub. At least he'll have more vacation time!
8 Sergio Ramos – Dubrovnik, Croatia
“The couple was dining in one of Dubrovnik’s established restaurants, before having a lengthy walk through the city’s romantic streets.”
According to The Croatia Times, Ramos had quite the summer touring Croatia back in 2016. He isn’t the only Spanish player to take a trip to the country. Fellow Spaniard David De Gea also booked a similar experience. Ramos' Real Madrid teammate Marcelo, enjoyed the same trip as well.
It is said that Ramos had a great time filled with fine dining and sightseeing. It was a preferred summer to his most recent experience. Spain was embarrassed at the World Cup getting ousted far too early against host Nation, Russia.
7 Paul Pogba – Los Angeles, California
Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku is another name to recently book a trip to LA. World Cup winner Paul Pogba might have gone a little harder considering he celebrated his World Cup victory at the location. Pogba was in full party mode. Among his stops included the Nice Guys nightclub. According to Daily Mail, Pogba left the club during the wee hours of the morning.
The party continued back at Pogba’s LA vacation residence. Like other soccer stars on the list it wouldn’t surprise us one bit if he took his talent to the MLS permanently one day joining the LA Galaxy. For now he’ll continue on over in Europe, however his Manchester run is in serious jeopardy due to issues with United coach Mourinho.
6 Kevin De Bruyne - Abu Dhabi
Not only did Man City recently use Abu Dhabi as a summer practice location for the squad, but one of their top players Kevin De Bruyne, also vacationed at the hotspot back in December of 2017. It was a quick trip just prior to a crucial derby match against Manchester United.
The trip turned out to be a fine idea. The attacking midfielder led Manchester to a championship victory. Not only that but he was full of energy when it came time for the World Cup. Alongside fellow Belgium star Hazard, the duo dominated the tournament. They came just a game short from reaching the finals.
5 Olivier Giroud - Formentera
He wasn’t a dominant player for France on route to their World Cup victory. However take nothing away from the player; he must have done something correct considering he featured in most matches. Although he didn’t find the back of the net, his work rate cannot be criticized.
In celebration of the World Cup win Giroud booked a romantic getaway alongside his wife in late July. The couple went to Formentera enjoying relax time by the beach - Giroud also took part in some volleyball action. The soccer star unveiled a new look on the trip, rocking shorter hair.
4 Mauro Icardi - Maldives
The 25 year old is currently at the prime of his career. For that reason it was a bit of a shock to see the player get omitted from the Argentina World Cup side. That might have more to do with the depth up front than the player himself.
He took this trip back in January and it was well deserved considering he finished the season atop the Serie A goal-scoring leaderboard. Alongside his stunning wife Wanda, the two enjoyed the breathtaking sights of Maldives. The couple posted various photos of the resort destination – most photos look absolutely stunning, from the water to the hotel relaxation areas.
3 Gareth Bale - Marbella, Spain
Prior to his official move from Tottenham to Real Madrid, Bale enjoyed time in Marbella, Spain. It turns out he loves the destination so much that he would return a couple of years later.
Due to this reason lots of Chelsea fans panicked when their top player Eden Hazard booked the same trip following the World Cup. The fan base feared he would join Real Madrid especially because of all the rumors linking the player to the squad. However similar to Luka Modric, it was just a trip to the destination and nothing more. He remains with Chelsea for the time being but it is likely that he’ll move to Spain permanently at some point.
2 Neymar – Sun City South Africa
Alongside his mother, son and sister, Neymar took a trip to South Africa back in 2015. Prior to South Africa Neymar made pit-stops in Barcelona, Las Vegas and later the Sun City resort. That’s three years worth of trips for most people. Antigua is another one of his recent travel destinations.
The World Cup was a letdown for the Brazilian megastar. He’s hoping to rewrite this wrong with a championship season with PSG. The team is heavily favored to win it all this season. It might be PSG’s last chance with rumors swirling linking Neymar to join Real Madrid next season.
1 Cristiano Ronaldo - Costa Navarino, Greece
According to The Independent, Ronaldo was in an awfully generous mood staying at a luxurious hotel in Greece;
“Cristiano Ronaldo left a £17,850 tip for staff at a Greek hotel before flying to Italy to complete his £99m transfer to Juventus. The Portuguese footballer was staying at the five-star Costa Navarino resort near Kalamata with his partner and family after his country was knocked out of the World Cup.”
If there was any soccer player in the world that needed a vacation, it was Ronaldo. He led Madrid to another Champions League Trophy. The drama continued in the summer with rumors of Ronaldo exiting Madrid. The rumors were proven correct as he made the swap official when returning from his trip to Costa Navarino.