The FIFA World Cup 2022, the biggest sporting event this year has started. Over the course of several weeks, fans will be able to see the biggest football stars grace the pitch with their respective national teams on the world stage.
How far can England and Wales go?
After a successful campaign from the women's national team in the Euros, England fans will be hoping that the men's team can achieve similar glory and bring football home this Christmas, while Wales will be playing in their first World Cup in 64 years and will be looking to make their mark in Qatar.
With English and Welsh football glory in mind, take a look at our fantastic examples of football-themed registrations shown (we promise the list order is purely coincidental and not our prediction for the final).
Find more plates with our football-themed search.
The private plates of stars around the world
The life of a top international footballer brings a level of fame and fortune that most people can only dream of. Private number plates are no stranger to the rich and famous and this is no different for professional football players. We take a look at the coolest private plate stories concerning some of the biggest football stars in the game.
Andros Townsend
Featured on the cover of The World of Personal Number Plates issue 36, Everton FC winger Andros Townsend received AND 20S from us and was thrilled with his personal plate. He was pleased with how the characters on the number plate resembled his name and added, ‘hopefully, I can have this plate for years to come.’ Currently, the personal number plate is registered to a white 2015 Range Rover.
Read more about Andros Townsend in our interview in issue 36 of our FREE number plates magazine.
The exclusive list goes on
We've also sold personalised registrations to legendary English players and current England football stars. Additionally, we had the pleasure of covering Welsh legend, Vinnie Jones and the late Doug Ellis in Issue 13 and 17 of our magazine respectively.
Ellis is most known for his tenure as chairman for Aston Villa and was nicknamed 'Deadly Doug'. Whereas, Jones enjoyed a spectacular career as a footballer playing for England's biggest football clubs, including Chelsea and Leeds before going on to pursue acting.
They are both well regarded figures in British football history.
Cristiano Ronaldo
CR 7
In the eyes of many football fans, Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest football player ever. He has played for the biggest clubs in the world, including, Real Madrid and Juventus, and he returned to Manchester United last summer. It is estimated that he earns half a million pounds weekly. He also boasts an enviable car collection which includes a Bugatti Centodieci, McLaren Senna and a Rolls-Royce Cullinan to name just a few.
Arguably as iconic as Cristiano himself, the private number plate CR 7 is a perfect fit for the superstar. The personalised registration contains his initials and famous shirt number that has been used to market his businesses all over the world. Regtransfers bought the private plate in 2011 and sold the registration a year later.
We are sure that private plates will be the last thing on Cristiano's mind. Leading Portugal's front line in what could be his last World Cup as a player, we expect he will want to leave a lasting impression to go with the incredible records he has achieved.
José Mourinho
A5 UTD
In May 2016, Jose Mourinho was appointed as the manager of Manchester United. He was seen getting into a vehicle with the registration, A5 UTD, in the same month. The number plate spells the abbreviated nickname, 'United', which is often used by football fans and pundits to refer to the 13-time Premier League champions.
Paul Pogba
POG 8A
Private number plate POG 8A, which spells the name of a former Manchester United and World Cup winning star Paul Pogba, sold for £29,888 at DVLA auction in 2017. Unfortunately, Pogba will be a glaring miss from the French team, as he is currently injured.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
X14 PEA
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a striker who is equally known for his flashy cars as he is for goal scoring ability. The Chelsea forward has previously been spotted driving a Lamborghini Urus with the private number X14 PEA, which displays his initials and the shirt number he wore for Arsenal. Gabon failed to top their group and therefore didn’t proceed to the next round of World Cup Qualifiers. So the Gabonese captain will be watching the action at home like the rest of us.
Alexander Isak
15 AAK
The winter transfer window is always a frantic time for players, clubs and even fans. Earlier this year, Isak was spotted throughout London in a Rolls Royce with the dateless plate, 15 AAK, clearly spelling his surname. Arsenal supporters became increasingly excited on social media and took this as confirmation that the Swedish striker was close to a transfer to the North-London based club. Isak will not feature in this year's World Cup, as Sweden failed to qualify. We do however expect he will be instrumental in Sweden's attack for years to come.
Looking for your own number plate?
Fortunately, you don't need to be a professional footballer to buy a private number plate. With over 50 million private numbers to choose from, find your dream registration today.
