What the World Cup players drive

Television and the forces of globalisation have made football everywhere a lucrative sport for those at the top of the profession, and those playing in this summer’s World Cup - including England's Wayne Rooney - are at the very pinnacle.

So it comes as no surprise that the best footballers in the world have a nasty habit of owning and driving some of the best and most expensive cars in it too. We take a look - and you can vote for your favourite collection at the bottom of the page...

England

England is one of the best-paid countries in the world to play football, and although this factor has helped to attract players from all over to play in the Premiership, home-grown English players have not fared too badly in the motors league. Top of the tree for car ownership in sheer numbers terms must be England captain David Beckham, whose garage changes so often it is hard to keep up. Cars he is currently thought to run include an Aston Martin Vanquish S, a Hummer H2, a Lincoln Navigator 4x4, a Range Rover, a Lamborghini Gallardo, a Bentley Arnage, a Rolls-Royce Phantom and an Audi A8. Previous wheels have included various Ferraris, a Porsche 911 or two, a Jaguar XKR, a BMW M3, and a Mercedes S500. He has also owned at least two BMW X5s, one of which was recently stolen in Madrid. His team Real Madrid’s deal with Audi has also loaned him a free Q7 4.2 4x4 – worth an estimated £70,000.

Stars & their cars: David Beckham

Wayne Rooney may be getting all the attention this summer because of a certain foot problem but he is not left behind in the car stakes. The cars he is know to own or have owned include a £50,000 Cadillac Escalade, a type of vast 4x4 beloved of US rap stars, and a BMW X5. His girlfriend Colleen McLoughlin drives a £30,000 Mercedes SLK. For her 19th birthday, Rooney presented her with a £60,000 Porsche 911. Other cars they are belived to own include a Chrysler 300C, an Audi TT, and a £50,000 BMW M3. However, the most notable car in Rooney's life is the £170,000, 200mph Aston Martin Vanquish S, which be bought a few weeks' ago - but has he bought one just so he can keep up with the likes of Beckham and Henry (see below)? More to the point, do the elegant lines of the Vanquish S match up to his self-image? On the recent ITV programme "World Cup Wind-ups" the couple were also seen driving a £60,000 Range Rover Sport Supercharged.

Stars & their cars: Wayne Rooney

That show’s presenter, defender Rio Ferdinand, owns a £190,000 Bentley Arnage, a Bentley Continental GT, and a Chrysler 300C V8.

In addition, it seems that Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Michael Owen, Ashley Cole and Joe Cole all own or have owned Aston Martins of one sort or another – while Ashley Cole also finds room for a Mercedes SL500 and a Range Rover. Sol Campbell and John Terry own BMW X5s, the latter twinning it with a Bentley Continental GT. Goalkeeper David James owns a Ford GT, just one of 28 thought to be in the UK; there are rumours that Beckham was on the list for one as well but it’s not know if he has taken delivery or not; perhaps he needs to make space in his bulging garage. And Sven? Suitably enough, his critics might carp, the England manager drives a safe, solid but not necessarily inspiring Volvo XC90 4x4...

Click here for our World Cup 2006 website

France

The French star line-up is led by the prolific Arsenal striker Thierry Henry who manages with three of the world’s most expensive supercars to his name: A Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, an Aston Martin Vanquish S, and a Porsche Carrera GT. Together with a Lincoln Navigator luxury 4x4, and the total bill for this lot is around £870,000. However his new contract with Arsenal is reported to pay him £120,000 a week so he may be able to afford it. Full back William Gallas also has an SLR, as has midfielder Claude Makelele, while veteran midfielder Zenedine Zidane joins Real Madrid colleague David Beckham with a free Q7. Former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira was also in the 4x4 club, owning a Mercedes-Benz ML-Class. However, in May raiders targeted his home near Cannes and apparently inserted gas into the air-conditioning system to send him to sleep – making off with jewellery and his Mercedes. He and his family were fortunately unharmed.

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Germany

Audi have truly got the football world tied up, it seems. It has embarked on the cunning scheme of lending its cars to some of the world’s richest sporting stars, whom, of course, are the one group most capable of paying for them with their own money. Life is fair like that... So, not only does Audi have a deal with Real Madrid and Manchester United, it also has one with German powerhouse Bayern Munich. So prior to his departure from Bayern to Chelsea, Germany captain Michael Ballack used to rock around southern Germany in a red hot £60,000 RS6 estate, handy for his young family. No.2 goalkeeper Oliver Kahn manages with the ubiquitous Audi A8.

Click here for a guide to Germany's World Cup team

German manager Jurgen Klinsmann was something of a bete noire in England following his alleged diving as a player during Italia ’90, but he quickly enamoured himself on these shores when playing later for Tottenham Hotspur with his good English, friendly manner - and his driving of a humble 1967 VW Beetle. He didn’t see much point of owning his usual motor, a Porsche 911, so far away from the autobahnen. When returning to Germany however the venerable Beetle gave up the ghost and he ended giving it to a bloke he met at a garage. Klinsmann – controversially – now lives in southern California, where he appears to keep a Range Rover Sport; while in Germany he won’t be short of transport; Mercedes-Benz is a key sponsor of the German team.

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Brazil

The high number of Brazilians in the Real Madrid side ensures that Audi gets its name associated with some of the world’s highest-profile footballers, with defender Cicinho, forward Robinho and striker Ronaldo all driving the new Q7 4x4. Again like all the main Real players most of them including Ronaldo also drive a £60,000 A8 limousine.

Click here for a guide to Brazil's World Cup team

Italy

Although you’d have thought that Ferraris and Lambos would be the order of the day for Italian star footballers - and you’d be right – the luxury 4x4 has hit Italy, so surprising numbers of them appear to drive BMW X5s and Porsche Cayennes. Star striker Alessandro Del Piero drives an infamous tuned-down rally car, the Lancia Delta Integrale. However, AC Milan defender Alessandro Nesta has owned several Porsches, though he has said that they are too fast for him; perhaps that was why he also owns a VW Golf cabriolet.

Click here for a guide to Italy's World Cup team

Holland

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Spain

Spanish players are well represented in the Real Madrid team so as a result defenders Michel Salgado and Sergio Ramos Garcia, goaley Iker Casillas, and Spain and Real captain "Raúl" González Blanco all drive the ubiquitous and newish Audi Q7 4x4. Arsenal midfielder Francesc Fabregas however appears to have opted for a positively modest Audi A3, while his Ashburton Grove colleague José Antonio Reyes, a striker, drives a sleek £70,000 Mercedes CLS55 AMG.

Click here for a guide to Spain's World Cup team

And a few of the rest...

The Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, who scored for Ivory Coast against Argentina in the team’s opening game, drives a monstrous Mercedes sports convertible, the £140,000 SL65. Sweden’s Arsenal midfielder Freddie Ljungberg drives the red hot pocket rocket that is the BMW M3 as well as a Porsche Cayenne Turbo 4x4. Czech and Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Czech owns a Lexus RX300 4x4.

Click here for our World Cup 2006 website

Stars & their cars