World Cup stars on vacation: where and how Ronaldo, Messi, Haaland, etc. are relaxing after the 2026 tournament
With an extended summer competition thanks to FIFA changes, there’s not long for down time before new seasons start.
Just because the World Cup is over doesn’t mean the stars have disappeared. After over a month of high-pressure games, emotional highs and lows, and more time in the global spotlight, it’s finally time to switch off.
Some have headed for luxury beach resorts, others are spending quality time with family, and a few have barely stopped travelling since the final whistle. From Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé and the rest of soccer’s biggest names, social media is offering fans a glimpse of how they’re recharging before the new club season begins.
Here’s a look at where the world’s biggest stars are spending their vacations – and what they’ve been getting up to while enjoying some well-earned downtime.
Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is also enjoying a well-earned break after bringing the curtain down on his international career. Following Portugal’s World Cup exit to Spain in the round of 16, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner headed off on vacation with partner Georgina Rodríguez.
In a recent Instagram post, Rodríguez shared a video of the pair swimming together in a stunning pool, with Ronaldo wearing goggles as the couple soaked up the sunshine. She kept the caption simple, adding only a mermaid and merman emoji, but the relaxed clip quickly gave fans a glimpse of how the football icon is unwinding after an emotional end to his Portugal journey.
Messi
Lionel Messi has gone back to basics after the World Cup, returning home to Rosario with wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their three sons for a few days of family time before rejoining Inter Miami.
The Argentina captain travelled separately from the rest of the national team on a private flight, landing early in the morning and avoiding the crowds waiting at the airport. Instead of a public homecoming, Messi slipped away quietly to enjoy some well-earned downtime with his family following Argentina’s heartbreaking defeat to Spain in the World Cup final.
Haaland
Erling Haaland has been making the most of his summer break on the French Riviera. After celebrating his 26th birthday aboard a luxury yacht in Italy, the Norway striker and girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen were spotted shopping in Saint-Tropez before heading back to their floating holiday home.
The couple have spent the past week enjoying the Mediterranean with friends and family, mixing yacht life, jet skis and designer events after Haaland’s standout World Cup campaign with Norway.
Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé and girlfriend Ester Expósito were seen leaving the Faena Miami Beach Hotel after France wrapped up its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a fourth-place finish.
Our Spanish colleagues have also been keeping their eyes on other soccer stars and celebs enjoying a summer break, and share all the pics.
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