You've Got To See What Lionel Messi Drives When He's Not Leading Argentina To World Cup Glory

If you were 22 years old, and signed a $125 Million contract with Real Madrid, like Brazil's Neymar, what car would you drive? What if you were 24-year-old Mario Balotelli, one of sport's wealthiest players? These famous international footballers enjoy their speed off the pitch as much as they revel in it while on.

In the spirit of all that is glorious and grotesque  in 21st Century professional sport, and the World Cup itself, here are a few famous footballers and their cars of choice...

What the Elite Footballers Drive...

Cristiano Ronaldo, Bugatti Veyron 
This is one awesome car that costs $US 1.7M. It's not the only car he has, however--there are about 20, including a Rolls Royce Phantom (incidentally, David Beckham owns one of those too).

Bastian Schweinsteiger, Audi R8
The Audi R8 Spyder is one of the oldest super cars, yet one that is still a favourite among enthusiasts. Costing upwards of $US 180K, it's obviously not as extravagant as a Bugatti, but a fine choice of car. Perhaps a bit on the conservative side--perfect balance of form and function--what one would expect from a German striker.

Neymar, Porsche Panamera Turbo S
An interesting vehicle for a world football star with the charisma of Neymar that falls in the price range of US$160K. This choice surprises me, but he's got others, including an Audi R8 Spyder.

Lionel Messi, Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradele
Very sweet car; incidentally, Jazz legend, Miles Davis, drove a Maserati also. The price starts at about US$130K, but its mystique is much more valuable than the rather conservative price tag.

 Mario Balotelli, Bentley Continental GT--Yes, that's camouflage.
How much does it cost to camouflage-wrap a Bentley Continental? Such a paint job would certainly take it beyond its US $270K price point. Though, aesthetically it doesn't really look like camouflage but more like blob painting--still pretty cool, but belies a kind of childish playfulness rather than combativeness.

What the Average Person in Canada and Brazil Drives...

Top Selling Car in Canada, Honda Civic
This is the hottest selling car in Canada for almost 17 years: The Honda Civic--yawn... Price? US $22K--a meagre speck of dust compared to the super machines above; and yet, this is what the average person in Canada drives. Quite a striking and grotesque gap, don't you think?

Top selling car in Brazil, VW Gol
This is the most popular car in Brazil: The VW Gol (no, not Golf!), which costs around US $18K. Again, here you see quite the gap between what an average driver would buy in Brazil and what the stars who they are cheering for drive. Incidentally, the Argentinian revolutionary, Che Guevara, forbade his wife from driving the car they were granted for his government status, urging her to take the bus as with most of the other Cuban citizens at the time.