Most are already retired, since, for contractual reasons, they cannot enjoy this passion during their professional activity
In the atmosphere of the World Cup and with all the focus on the competition, we recently published in AutoPapo that professional football players are prohibited from riding motorcycles, since they are vehicles considered to be at risk for athletes. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t like the world of two wheels.
Neymar, for example, has already shared his collection of motorcycles, although he is not seen on top of them. To walk, most do like “Captain” Cafu, who acquires theirs only after the end of the contracts.
Between millionaire collections, customized motorcycles and participation in motorcycling events, some well-known names in the sport show that adrenaline is not restricted to the lawns.
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As already said, the number 10 of the Brazilian National Team revealed a few weeks ago his collection of motorcycles that is not at all simple. An important point to note is that, unlike the other players on the list, the striker does not say whether or not he is passionate about the world of two wheels.
In posts on social networks, he has already commented to a colleague that the motorcycles came along with the new house and that he did not ride the models out of fear and also because of contractual obstacles. However, Neymar has also posted the bikes on his own networks, calling them “new toys”.
Despite everything, the striker’s collection has about 15 motorcycles, among which some sports bikes could be identified:
Apart from the fairings, there is also a custom, apparently a Harley-Davidson, among the models.
With Cafu, the list of those truly passionate about motorcycles begins. The former full-back and captain of the Brazilian national team that won the fifth title has already admitted in interviews that he has always been passionate about this universe, but left the dream covered up because of professional football.
After retirement, he started to participate in track days, events and even motorcycle groups. The captain was even present at the 2026 MotoGP Brazil.
Cafu is often seen on the red ones from Ducati, a manufacturer with which he has already signed a partnership a few years ago. Riding among lovers of sporty style, it also takes risks in the adventurous ones.
Icon of English football, David Beckham is considered one of the players most linked to the biker culture. The former Manchester United and England national team midfielder owns several custom-built motorcycles and has participated in trips and special projects on two wheels.
Among the highlights that are and have been in his garage are exclusive and personalized models, such as the Confederate F131 Hellcat Combat, the rare Super Vintage 93 Knuckle and a special version of the Triumph Bonneville prepared by British Customs especially for him.
The passion for motorcycles already brought Beckham to Brazil in 2014, when he traveled stretches of the Amazon riding Triumph models during the recordings of the documentary Towards the Unknown, produced by the BBC. One of the motorcycles used in the expedition, a Bonneville, was even exhibited in São Paulo, reinforcing the former player’s strong connection with the universe of two wheels.
Sweden’s top scorer also has his stories in the world of motorcycles. In his biography, Ibrahimović revealed that, as a teenager in Malmö, Sweden, he used to steal bicycles and even cars. He himself has had his bicycle stolen and, in retaliation and search for adrenaline, he started to break locks to ride the bikes of acquaintances, such as a postman and even a member of the coaching staff of the club where he played.
As an adult, consecrated and retired from football, Zlatan developed a special taste for motorcycles. Among its gems, a custom Harley-Davidson V-Rod with an engine signed by Porsche stands out. He himself made a point of posting photos with the machine on the streets of Milan, joking on social networks when comparing himself to the character Ghost Rider.
Xabi Alonso’s relationship with motorcycles is marked by a long wait. Throughout his career as a professional player, the Spaniard avoided riding motorcycles due to the contractual restrictions common in high-performance football. Still, he nurtured the desire to have his own machine as soon as he retired from the field.
Shortly before his farewell to Bayern Munich in 2017, Alonso revealed that buying a motorcycle would be one of the first things he would do after ending his career. The promise was quickly fulfilled: less than a month after retirement, he ordered a fully customized 1981 BMW R100 from the Spanish workshop Cafe Racer Dreams.
Named CRD98, the bike was built on a first-generation BMW R100RS and received a complete transformation over six weeks of work. The 1,000 cm³ twin-cylinder boxer engine has been completely disassembled, restored and reconditioned to maintain the original performance and appearance of the German classic. Several components were preserved, such as the original fuel tank and air filter, while the exhaust was handcrafted by the workshop itself.
One of the most striking elements is the handmade caramel leather bench produced by Cafe Leather Supply, which contrasts with the predominant matte black paint and gives even more exclusivity to the set.
The biggest name in the history of Brazilian football, Pelé has also had his image associated with the universe of motorcycles.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the King of Football participated in advertising campaigns for Honda Brazil, helping to popularize the brand’s motorcycles in a period of strong expansion of the Brazilian market. Although he was not known for maintaining large collections or acting as an enthusiastic motorcyclist in the same way as other players on the list, his influence was fundamental in bringing the public closer to two wheels, becoming one of the most important athletes ever linked to the history of motorcycling in Brazil.
