World Cup glory has not guaranteed lifelong luxury for every player; across generations, champions and contenders have moved into ordinary trades — undertaker, salesman, fisherman, petrol-station owner, even pro wrestler — reflecting how eras, earnings and personal choice shape life after international football.
World Cup stars who swapped medals for everyday jobs
Modern football’s biggest names often retire into business or media riches, but many former World Cup players instead chose modest, practical second careers. These transitions reveal differences in wages across eras, personal priorities and the enduring need for purpose when the final whistle blows.
Ray Wilson — undertaker
Ray Wilson, an ever-present full-back in England’s 1966 World Cup-winning side, left top-level football in 1971 and later ran an undertaking business. The move underlines how even World Cup champions of the 1960s needed post-football income and a stable trade to support family life.
Stéphane Guivarc’h — swimming-pool salesman
Stéphane Guivarc’h, a squad member of France’s 1998 World Cup winners, returned to his Breton hometown after retirement and made a long-term career in sales for a local swimming-pool business. His path shows how players sometimes prioritize community roots and steady work over the spotlight.
Felix (Brazil) — car and fridge salesman
Felix, Brazil’s 1970 goalkeeper, retired in the late 1970s and worked in sales, specialising in cars and refrigerators while also doing occasional lecturing. Even members of football’s most celebrated teams have moved into everyday commerce after their playing days.
Wilson Piazza — petrol-station owner
Wilson Piazza, part of Brazil’s 1970 squad and a mainstay for Cruzeiro domestically, later ran a players’ union and owned petrol stations in Belo Horizonte. His post-career entrepreneurship illustrates how some ex-players leverage local influence into sustainable businesses.
Fábio Coentrão — fisherman
Fábio Coentrão, who represented Portugal and played for Real Madrid, returned to a quieter life after retirement and took up fishing — a trade he described as part of his family heritage. This choice reflects a deliberate step towards a slower pace and a reconnection with roots.
Tim Wiese — professional wrestler
Tim Wiese, a goalkeeper in Germany’s 2010 World Cup squad, reinvented himself in entertainment after retirement, training with WWE and making in-ring appearances. His switch highlights how some ex-pros capitalise on athleticism and personality to build new public careers outside traditional football pathways.
Taribo West — pastor
Taribo West, a combative defender for Nigeria at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, turned to ministry and founded a church after leaving the professional game. His transition underscores how faith and identity can guide post-football vocation choices as much as finances.
Gabriel Batistuta — farmer and rural entrepreneur
Gabriel Batistuta, Argentina’s prolific goalscorer across three World Cups, moved back to Argentina to run agricultural and equestrian ventures. For elite players like Batistuta, farming offered privacy, a new routine and a tangible business away from the media glare.
Shaka Hislop — engineer background then media
Shaka Hislop combined a mechanical engineering degree and an early internship at NASA with a successful professional career that included Newcastle, West Ham, Portsmouth and Trinidad & Tobago at the 2006 World Cup. His post-playing life has largely focused on media, demonstrating that academic or vocational foundations can coexist with elite sporting careers.
Why these career shifts matter
These examples show several consistent themes. First, era matters: wages in the 1960s–1990s rarely matched today’s elite salaries, making second careers a necessity. Second, identity and personal preference are decisive — some players seek quieter lives, others entrepreneurial or faith-based fulfilment. Third, transferable skills and local networks often determine the path: sales, business ownership and community roles are accessible and sustainable options.
What this suggests for today’s players
For current professionals, the lessons are practical. Financial planning and career development remain crucial despite higher modern earnings. Building vocational skills, nurturing local ties and preparing for life after football reduce the risk of aimlessness. Clubs and associations that invest in education, mental-health support and business training increase the chance of positive transitions.
Conclusion
World Cup status confers lasting prestige, but it does not dictate a single post-career trajectory.
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Whether driven by necessity, passion or personal reinvention, these players’ choices remind the football world that retirement is a new chapter — one where planning, values and adaptability define success as sharply as goals and medals once did.
The Sun
