How he lost everything: After retiring, he was mired in debt. Brazilian authorities fined him €2 million for illegal construction in a protected natural area.

Rock bottom: In 2018, a court ordered his passports confiscated. An audit of his accounts revealed that the once-highest-paid player on the planet had... 6 euros left in his account . In 2020, he hit rock bottom, landing in a Paraguayan prison for entering the country with a false passport.

How he lost everything: Eboué didn't read the documents he signed. His wife, Aurélie, controlled all his finances. In 2017, during their divorce, the court transferred all his property, including his luxurious London mansion, to her.

The bottom: Emmanuel hid from bailiffs, slept on the floor of a friend's house, washed clothes by hand because he couldn't afford a washing machine, and seriously contemplated suicide. Fortunately, Arsenal and Galatasaray later offered him a job as academy coach to bring him back from the brink.

How he lost everything: A classic cocktail: a monstrously expensive divorce (in 2005, his wife sued him for millions) plus disastrous real estate investments.

The Bottom: In 2014, James officially declared bankruptcy. To pay off his creditors, he had to hold a public sale of his belongings: his DJ decks, vinyl records, bicycles, and even the jerseys he used to trade with his opponents were auctioned off.

How he lost everything: Royston began squandering his money on endless parties, gold chains, and attempts to build a career as a rapper (under the pseudonym Roya2Faces). He quickly developed a retinue of hangers-on who siphoned off his money for dubious business ventures.

The bottom: In 2020, a Dutch court officially declared 33-year-old Drenthe bankrupt. He had squandered a fortune of £3.2 million during his career, never fulfilling his sporting potential.

How he lost everything: Alcohol, cocaine, and, worst of all, gambling addiction. Paul would lose tens of thousands of pounds on bookmakers in just a couple of hours.

Bottom: Over the course of his life, he gambled and drank away more than 7 million pounds. His house was repossessed due to mortgage arrears. He recently admitted that even during the pandemic, he relapsed and gambled away the money he had saved to buy a home for his family.

How he lost it all: In 2007, while earning £50,000 a week, Riise was declared bankrupt. The blame lay with his blind faith in his financial advisor (and agent), who lured the footballer into fraudulent investment schemes in Norwegian hotels.

Bottom line: Riisa had to sue her own agent to prove fraud, while British tabloids mocked the millionaire who couldn't pay his bills.

How he lost everything: Divorce, paternity test scandals, and a huge number of relatives in Ghana who considered him their personal ATM.

Bottom Line: In 2018, Gyan told the court he was completely broke and unable to pay child support. He claimed he had only £600 left in his only bank account, and hadn't spoken to his family for months, evading financial claims.

How he lost everything: After retiring, he was mired in debt. Brazilian authorities fined him €2 million for illegal construction in a protected natural area.

Rock bottom: In 2018, a court ordered his passports confiscated. An audit of his accounts revealed that the once-highest-paid player on the planet had... 6 euros left in his account . In 2020, he hit rock bottom, landing in a Paraguayan prison for entering the country with a false passport.

How he lost everything: Eboué didn't read the documents he signed. His wife, Aurélie, controlled all his finances. In 2017, during their divorce, the court transferred all his property, including his luxurious London mansion, to her.

The bottom: Emmanuel hid from bailiffs, slept on the floor of a friend's house, washed clothes by hand because he couldn't afford a washing machine, and seriously contemplated suicide. Fortunately, Arsenal and Galatasaray later offered him a job as academy coach to bring him back from the brink.

How he lost everything: A classic cocktail: a monstrously expensive divorce (in 2005, his wife sued him for millions) plus disastrous real estate investments.

The Bottom: In 2014, James officially declared bankruptcy. To pay off his creditors, he had to hold a public sale of his belongings: his DJ decks, vinyl records, bicycles, and even the jerseys he used to trade with his opponents were auctioned off.

How he lost everything: Royston began squandering his money on endless parties, gold chains, and attempts to build a career as a rapper (under the pseudonym Roya2Faces). He quickly developed a retinue of hangers-on who siphoned off his money for dubious business ventures.

The bottom: In 2020, a Dutch court officially declared 33-year-old Drenthe bankrupt. He had squandered a fortune of £3.2 million during his career, never fulfilling his sporting potential.

How he lost everything: Alcohol, cocaine, and, worst of all, gambling addiction. Paul would lose tens of thousands of pounds on bookmakers in just a couple of hours.

Bottom: Over the course of his life, he gambled and drank away more than 7 million pounds. His house was repossessed due to mortgage arrears. He recently admitted that even during the pandemic, he relapsed and gambled away the money he had saved to buy a home for his family.

How he lost it all: In 2007, while earning £50,000 a week, Riise was declared bankrupt. The blame lay with his blind faith in his financial advisor (and agent), who lured the footballer into fraudulent investment schemes in Norwegian hotels.

Bottom line: Riisa had to sue her own agent to prove fraud, while British tabloids mocked the millionaire who couldn't pay his bills.

How he lost everything: Divorce, paternity test scandals, and a huge number of relatives in Ghana who considered him their personal ATM.

Bottom Line: In 2018, Gyan told the court he was completely broke and unable to pay child support. He claimed he had only £600 left in his only bank account, and hadn't spoken to his family for months, evading financial claims.