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Chris Wright, Toe Poke writer
After a bout of international fixtures that for some extended the campaign even further, at long last holiday season is well and truly under way, with some of the game’s biggest stars sharing their sunlit snapshots.
From tropical beaches to idyllic getaways to Las Vegas parties, players have been willing to offer us a fleeting glimpse into their lavish offseason sojourns via social media.
With a league, cup and European treble in the bag, the Manchester City squad quite rightly spent several days celebrating their triumph before most players scattered to the four winds either on international duty, holiday or in some instances, both.
Almost as soon as the City parade bus had returned to the depot, star striker Haaland reported for international duty with Norway where he joined Martin Odegaard for back-to-back Euro 2024 qualifiers against Scotland and Cyprus. Haaland’s unrelenting form continued as the City powerhouse scored another three goals over the course of the two games.
With national duty out of the way and his season finally officially complete, Haaland escaped to Ibiza for a well-earned summer break, but not before stopping off in Barcelona and reuniting with Rodri in order to attend the wedding of City teammate Aymeric Laporte.
The life and soul of City’s lively treble celebrations, Grealish eventually found time to power down with six nights spent unwinding in one of the world’s most laid-back and relaxing retreat destinations: Las Vegas.
The England winger was spotted partying with DJ Tiesto after watching the Dutch producer’s show at Zouk Nightclub as a giant message congratulating him on winning the Champions League appeared on the electronic screen outside his luxury hotel.
After winning a treble at the age of 23, Foden travelled to Greece for a celebratory holiday. While likely under instruction to rest up ahead of the new season, the young midfielder still made sure to keep his skills honed with a quick bout of keepie-uppies on the veranda.
De Bruyne left the hustle and bustle behind in favour of a family holiday that just so happened to coincide with the City playmaker’s 32nd birthday.
This was after the Belgium midfielder was seen dancing at an oceanside bar with Netherlands and Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk, who apparently really loves his Beyoncé tunes.
Kevin De Bruyne and Virgil van Dijk holidaying together 😎
(via lacroixmichele/IG) pic.twitter.com/Ly8cmPxgrt
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) June 25, 2023
Pep Guardiola
After finding room in the cabinet to add yet more silverware, City coach Pep Guardiola got his head out of the game for at least one day by hosting and taking part in his very own golf tournament in Spain.
Guardiola was joined by several other footballing luminaries in Ruud Gullit and Gianfranco Zola for the annual pro-am Legends Trophy that takes place in Girona in an effort to raise funds for the Guardiola Sala Foundation.
As seems to be an annual tradition, Salah returned to Egypt where he hired a yacht and spent several days soaking up the rays from on deck, posing for a series of buff holiday photos.
The Liverpool forward also celebrated his 31st birthday in June, which he marked with a magnificent cake that featured a miniature model of himself dressed in his red No. 10 shirt.
Saka visited Lagos in Nigeria, the country where both of his parents were born. The Gunners forward received a warm welcome from the locals as he walked through the streets with his entourage before enjoying a sit-down meeting with Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos state.
Prior to fulfilling his international commitments with Norway, Arsenal midfielder Odegaard managed to squeeze in a quick summer jaunt with his partner, Helene. The pair enjoyed a cycle ride and spent plenty of time lounging in the sun.
With a big transfer to Manchester United in the works, Mount took his mind off matters by giving a little back. Indeed, the England midfielder joined Captain America and Buzz Lightyear at a charity event hosted by Disney UK.
Tottenham striker Harry Kane made a guest appearance on “Good Morning America,” where he once again reiterated his dream of becoming an NFL kicker once his soccer career draws to a close.
The 29-year-old also demonstrated his potential to any potential scouts in the audience by nailing a long-distance field goal on air.
Undoubtedly the busiest of all Real Madrid players so far this summer has been Vinicius Junior, who has been clocking up the miles on his off-season tour of the United States.
As part of a packed itinerary, the 22-year-old Brazil international kicked things off by bumping into Jay-Z after flying into London to watch Beyonce perform at the Tottenham Stadium in late May.
Vinicius then travelled to Orlando, Florida, where he was scheduled to take part in a charity exhibition match organised by Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos. One of many big names involved, the Real forward played for both sides during the game, which unfortunately had to be abandoned in the second half because of inclement weather and persistent crowd trouble.
After escaping from the chaos unscathed, Vinicius finally managed to grab himself a brief moment of tranquility down on the waterfront in Miami.
He then reunited with Selecao teammate and friend Neymar as the pair were spotted courtside at the Kaseya Center in Miami for the NBA Finals, with the Miami Heat taking on the Denver Nuggets.
Having got his basketball fix in Florida, Vinicius then flew on to Rio de Janeiro, where he was afforded the chance to try his hand at a different sport. Indeed, the Real winger was seen flexing his NFL chops during a light training session with Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
After formally wrapping up his move to Real Madrid, Bellingham darted to the south of France for a family holiday that involved larking on the river and milling about on the Riviera with his younger brother, Jobe.
Dressed up to the nines, the Bellingham siblings then flew into the French capital in time to attend the see Pharrell Williams take centre stage as part of the Louis Vuitton show at Paris Fashion Week.
Similarly sharply dressed, Alaba began his summer break by taking in the sights and even walking the pits at the Monte Carlo Grand Prix in Monaco.
After returning to Austria for international duty, the veteran defender jetted onto Paris for Fashion Week and even took part in a photoshoot and hosted a gala show on behalf of fashion brand Wales Bonner.
Camavinga’s summer holidays got underway with a trip to Morocco, where it’s reported he also spent time with fellow Les Bleus internationals Dayot Upamecano, Ousmane Dembele and Randal Kolo Muani, as well as Moroccan internationals Sofyan and Nordin Amrabat.
It wasn’t all palm trees, open shirts and beach vibes for Camavinga, though, as the France midfielder also shared a few pics of him sweating off the excess while running on the treadmill in his private gym.
After scoring 41 goals in 43 games for Paris Saint-Germain last season, Mbappe travelled across the Atlantic for a summer holiday that began with a trip to Miami Beach in Florida. The forward was seen playing paddle tennis and even partaking in an engrossing game of giant Jenga on the sunbaked sand as he whiled away the hours with his friends.
As night fell, Mbappe pulled on his finest satin shirt and hit the town, hanging out by the pool at what appeared to be a completely empty house before settling down on the couch and putting his feet up.
Neymar
Seemingly on permanent vacation, Neymar’s grand summer tour began with a trip to Monte Carlo to witness the Formula 1 action unfold while mingling with a raft of celebrity faces, including Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton at the Monte Carlos Grand Prix.
The PSG forward then joined Brazil teammate Vinicius Junior in Miami to watch the Heat host the Nuggets in the NBA Finals, even grabbing a courtside handshake with Heat star Jimmy Butler.
Neymar then staged a lavish gender reveal party, during which it was confirmed that he and partner Bruna Biancardi are expecting a baby girl, via the medium of pink pyrotechnics.
The 31-year-old was also presented with a couple of awards at the Fui Clear gala staged at the Hotel Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro. First held in 2022, the awards show acknowledges the best performing Brazilian footballers at both home and abroad and saw Neymar pick up a trinket or two, alongside fellow winners Richarlison and Vinicius.
Superstars
After a disappointing debut season in the Saudi Pro League that saw Al Nassr finish without a trophy, Ronaldo recuperated while on holiday with his family. The Portuguese veteran was all smiles as he shared a pic of him in the pool with a couple of his kids.
After slogging through one of the longest, most arduous and ultimately successful seasons of his entire career, Messi was finally able to enjoy a little down time ahead of his much-publicised transfer to MLS.
With a bit of assistance from his children, Messi blew out the candles on his 36th-birthday cake before escaping for an overdue holiday and time on the beach in the Bahamas with wife Antonella, before having to report to his first training session as an Inter Miami player later this month.
After securing a lucrative transfer from Real to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, Benzema left the football world far behind in search of a little rest and relaxation on the island of Reunion in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Ahead of his new challenge in the Saudi Pro League, the veteran striker recharged his batteries with some family time by the pool at his luxury villa.
