Vacation watch: Where soccer stars are enjoying summer holidays
With preseason mere weeks away and the start of the 2022-23 already beginning to crown over the horizon, many of football’s top names have been seizing the opportunity to squeeze a hard-earned vacation into their packed schedules.
After a string of international fixtures out of the way and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar delayed until November, a timely gap in the itinerary presented itself to a lot of players ahead of their return for pre-season.
As such, said players duly jumped at the chance of some overdue time away and scattered to the four corners of the Earth in search of a little rest and relaxation.
– Full Premier League fixtures schedule 2022-23
– 2022-23 preseason schedules for Europe’s top clubs
After finding himself surplus to requirements for England’s final two UEFA Nations League games of the summer, Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold flew out to Ibiza for a romantic getaway with his partner.
Meanwhile, Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah capped off a successful double cup-winning season on the domestic front by returning home to his native Egypt on holiday.
Never shy when it comes to heading out on the ocean waves, the Reds forward spent a few choice hours soaking up the rays while flexing his impressive physique on the deck of a yacht.
Salah then celebrated his 30th birthday in style a few days later as he ushered in the “Big Three-O” with a gigantic football-shaped cake.
Miami has proven an increasingly popular destination for footballers in recent years and sure enough that is precisely where Jesse Lingard chose to spend a little down-time after brining his 20-year association with Manchester United to an emotional close last month.
Lingard shared photos of himself undergoing a sweltering preseason fitness workout on Miami Beach as he continues to prepare for a fresh challenge at an as-yet-undecided new club next season.
Coincidentally, the 29-year-old also reunited with a fellow former Red Devil in the shape of Paul Pogba, who shared an embrace with his ex-teammate while dressed in matching outfits.
Lingard also had the pleasure of bumping into Neymar in Miami Beach, where the latter had pitched up having spent the previous few days making his debut on the pro poker circuit in Las Vegas.
The Paris Saint-Germain striker was also joined for a night out by fellow Brazil legend Ronaldinho as the pair attended a private party hosted by Colombian reggaeton singer Blessd.
In the span of a hectic few days on the East Coast, Ronaldinho also found time to meet up with old friends Vinicius Junior and Paolo Dybala, who both touched down in Florida that same week.
Indeed, Vinicius Jr. then flew his entourage onto Vegas where Real Madrid’s Champions League final-winning hero mostly appeared to spend his time loitering in luxury hotel foyers.
While usually the preserve of players, Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard also whisked his family to Los Angeles for a post-season break where he somehow managed to end up dining with Hollywood actor Will Ferrell.
Gerrard quipped “as you do!” after sharing a photo of the unlikely duo enjoying a bite to eat in each other’s company at Wally’s restaurant in Beverly Hills.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta enjoyed an altogether more serene getaway after flying to Mallorca for a week in the blistering Spanish sun.
The 40-year-old rolled back the years while enjoying a casual kickabout on the beach with his family.
Mikel Arteta plays football on beach as he relaxes during summer break with stunning Miss Spain wife https://t.co/ciVy5oaGVW
Arteta wasn’t the only Premier League representative on holiday in Spain either, with Chelsea midfielder Jorginho spending a few days chilling out by the beach with his wife.
It would appear that Kylian Mbappe’s summer trip was a long time coming — after a turbulent few months of transfer speculation before he signed a new contract — as the PSG striker exclaimed “FINALLY!” while posting a shot of him cooling off in the pool on Instagram.
Cristiano Ronaldo and partner Georgina Rodriguez boarded a private jet with their children (including two-month old daughter Bella Esmeralda) as they headed out to their holiday home in Mallorca.
The Manchester United veteran followed up by posting a sweet photo of his entire clan gathered around the dinner table while winding down together in the cool of the evening.