Top stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will be insured for over £150million each when they step out for their respective opening games of the World Cup in Russia.
Leading insurers Beazley say security risks will be heightened during the competition and have laid out a series of other high-profile concerns ranging from cyber attack to cancellation and kidnap.
With top transfer fees soaring and clubs ever keen to protect their star players against career-ending injuries, Beazley estimate the maximum cover for a star player at somewhere in the region of £150m.
Beazley also estimate each of the 32 finalists will have insured their respective squads for almost £19million each to guard against the specific threat of kidnap and extortion.
Cover against tournament cancellation, which includes the subsequent loss of television rights and sponsorship opportunities, is reported to be in the region of £1bn.
World football governing body FIFA has said it is fully confident in Russian security measures for the World Cup, with the organisation’s head of security Helmut Spahn declaring himself “extremely satisfied” earlier this week.
