Nigerian soccer star Odion Ighalo recently offered a glimpse into the extravagant lifestyle that comes with playing for one of the biggest football teams in Saudi Arabia.
The exclusive and beyond-luxurious world of private jets often brings with it a whole host of questions: how much does it actually cost to have your own private jet? Does having a private jet make your first-class fantasies look paltry? And just how outrageous do celebrities get on private jets? This week, one footballer from the Saudi Pro League proved that though he and his fellow athletes travel in lavish style, it actually takes very little to keep his team entertained…
Former Manchester United player Odion Ighalo, now a proud member of Al-Hilal SFC — one of the most high-powered teams in the Saudi game — took to Instagram this week to unveil his teams’ incredible mode of transportation: a $625 million AUD (~$418 million USD) private jet.
Complete with a range of opulent features (including an actual golden throne) this flying palace epitomises the lavishness we’ve come to expect from Saudi’s upper echelons, even if the players themselves seem satisfied with a humble game of Uno…
WATCH: Take a look at how the other half flies…
One of the prominent clubs in the Saudi Pro League, Al-Hilal SFC boasts an impressive roster of elite players and has garnered support from influential figures like billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud. Now a patron of the club, the prince is known for his love of sport and recently decided to demonstrate his dedication by lending his extravagant Boeing 747-400 private jet to his favourite team for their journey to Morocco during the FIFA Club World Cup.
Originally designed with 400 passenger seats, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Boeing 747 underwent a jaw-dropping transformation to become one of the most luxurious and expensive private jets in the world, as reported on Luxury Launches. The interior features two lavishly appointed bedrooms, a spacious dining area accommodating up to fourteen people and, perhaps the most eye-catching of them all, a grand golden throne that serves as the centrepiece of the cabin.
In the short but wholly effective clip, Odion Ighalo takes his followers on a virtual tour of the aircraft’s opulent interior, starting with the cockpit — where the pilots generously share some insights with the thiry-four-year-old soccer star whilst keeping the plane on the straight and narrow — before revealing how his teammates seem entirely at home in the lap of luxury, enjoying a hard-earned rest in the plush recliner seats and passing time with card games.
In true Saudi style, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s affinity love for the lavish extends far beyond his private jet. Renowned for his extravagant spending habits — much like the similarly extravagant Mohammed bin Salman, whose $600 million superyacht features a dedicated ‘snow room’ — the billionaire owns an impressive fleet of private aircraft.
Alongside the Boeing 747, he has an Airbus 321 and a Hawker Siddeley 125 in his collection, solidifying his expensive reputation as a transportation connoisseur. He also expressed interest in acquiring the world’s first private A380 in 2008, but the deal ultimately fell through.
This team may take sporting luxury to unprecedented new heights, but their commitment to the humble game of Uno should serve as an important reminder to us all: the best things in life are rarely free, but it never hurts to keep things simple either.