World’s Most Expensive Players
The most recent update of the rankings for the most valuable players in global football has been published by the CIES Football Observatory research group.
Top three
Erling Haaland, former Borussia Dortmund striker and the lethal forward for Manchester City, leads the pack with a staggering estimated worth of €245 million, placing him well above Vinicius Jr of Real Madrid (€196m) and Bukayo Saka, the standout player from Arsenal (€195m).
Jude Bellingham (€190m) and Rodrygo Goes (€185m) complete the top five positions. Should Bellingham’s anticipated transfer to Real Madrid be finalized during the summer, the Santiago Bernabéu would be home to three of the world’s five most valuable players.
Mbappe is in the top ten
Mbappe, often regarded as one of the best players in the world, may surprise many by only making it to the top ten in the CIES value rankings. However, this placement can be attributed to the specific methodology employed by CIES in determining player values.
There is speculation that Mbappe’s existing contract contains a clause that permits him to terminate his agreement in 2024 if Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fails to achieve European success. This possibility of a free transfer next summer has the potential to impact his value as reflected in the CIES rankings.
Additionally, CIES has determined the hypothetical value of each player if they had a contract with three or more years remaining. Mbappe (€261m) would rank second in this scenario, just behind Vinicius Jr (€314.9m). It’s worth noting that both players’ current contracts are set to expire in the summer of 2024, leaving them only 12 months away from potentially becoming free agents.
Here’s the top 10;
- Erling Haaland – $262m
- Vinicius Jr – $210m
- Bukayo Saka – $209m
- Jude Bellingham – $207m
- Rodrygo – $197m
- Pedri – $190m
- Gavi – $186m
- Kylian Mbappe – $174m
- Jamal Musiala – $182m
- Phil Foden – $178m
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