Quick, what’s common between Messi, Ronaldo, Dhoni, Gavaskar, Pacquiao, Pogba, Beckham and Federer? You guessed it right – it’s their love for Dubai. Besides safety and security, the city offers a glamourous luxury lifestyle. But for stars who want to remain at the cutting edge of their game, Dubai’s world-class sporting facilities are a major attraction.
Dubai is home to more than 400 academies, over 100 public and private sports clubs and five factories that manufacture sports items. The sports sector contributes more than Dh4 billion per year to Dubai’s economy, and over 20,000 people are employed in the emirate’s sports industry.
Several renowned sports celebs from the world of tennis, cricket, football, golf and boxing have their second homes in Dubai’s posh areas while others run sports clubs here or often visit to enjoy the luxury of this seven-star city. From Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to Manny Pacquiao, here’s a list of 15 global sports icons who call Dubai their second home.
The Fabulous Fifteen
15 global sports icons who call Dubai their second home
Lionel Messi
Football GOAT
The Argentine GOAT (a sports acronym for ‘greatest of all time’), is one of the many faces of Expo 2020 Dubai. He is an ambassador of the mega event. The football legend was recently in Dubai where he literally kicked off the Expo countdown.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Football legend
The footie ace recently received a Dubai Golden Visa. Ronaldo bagged the Globe Soccer ‘Player of the Century’ award in Dubai in 2020 and stayed here with his family. He’s been spotted hitting the gym along with the Dubai Crown Prince.
Paul Pogba
Football star
Pogba is a regular visitor to Dubai and has been spotted in the city of gold with his family on several occasions. In 2019, the 26-year-old Frenchman posted an Insta video of him peddling hard on a cross-trainer on a Dubai rooftop.
Zinedine Zidane
Real Madrid manager; ex-footballer
Dubai is a home away from home for the former French player and Real Madrid manager. The soccer ace of Algerian descent has been spotted in Dubai on several occasions.
Manny Pacquiao
Boxer
The Filipino boxing superstar has hopped over to Dubai on several occasions. ‘PacMan’ is a real crowd-puller wherever he goes in the city, whether to attend a fashion shoot, a boxing promotion or a charity conference.
Henrik Stenson
Golfer
The former golf world No.1 is a long-time Dubai resident. He also tied the knot here. That Dubai is his favourite city shouldn’t come as a surprise given that the Swedish professional golfer has won a host of accolades in the city.
MS Dhoni
Cricketer
‘Captain cool’ is no stranger to Dubai. The former India captain and World Cup-winning skipper has a massive fan following in Dubai. In 2020, he set up his MS Dhoni Cricket Academy in the city.
Sunil Gavaskar
Commentator, ex-cricketer
The former Indian cricket legend owns property in Dubai and was the brand ambassador of the Danube Group. The ‘Little Master’ is a frequent visitor to the city.
Jelena Jankovic
Tennis player
The Serbian tennis star is a resident of Dubai and says it is her favourite place to play and spend time. The former world No.1 enjoyed huge support from the crowd during her matches here.
Marion Bartoli
Ex-Tennis player
Bartoli moved to Dubai in 2013, shortly after retiring. The former Wimbledon champ says she loves Dubai because of its safety. She has also announced plans for a tennis academy in the UAE to hone Emirati talent.
Roger Federer
Tennis player
The Swiss tennis champ owns a penthouse in the Dubai Marina. Dubai is a home away from home for the 20-time Grand Slam champion who has the honour of winning eight championships in the city.
David Beckham
Ex-footballer
The football legend and former England captain made Dubai his second home along with his wife Victoria. They own a luxury apartment in Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world.
Amir Khan
Boxer
The British boxer of Pakistani origin spends most of his time in Dubai along with his family. Khan owns a luxury home in District One. He often visits boxing academies to promote the game among youth.
Peter Ebdon
Ex-snooker player
The English snooker player and world champion lived in Dubai with his wife and kids until 2009. Ebdon announced his retirement in April 2020 citing a neck injury after being a professional for 29 seasons.
Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik
Sports power couple
Dubai has given Indian Sania and Pakistani Shoaib a welcoming home away from their own homes. They moved to Dubai soon after their marriage, and own a home in Palm Jumeirah.
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