CIES Football Observatory, the research wing of the International Centre of Sports Studies, has drawn up the list of the world’s most valued football players as they do twice every year by taking into consideration main parameters such as age and contract duration.
Premier League clubs dominate the ranking with 41 representatives among the 100 players evaluated, with La Liga witnessing 21 players make it to the top of the list, just ahead of Serie A (14) and Bundesliga (13). Despite Ligue 1 seeing the least number of representatives, it is Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappé who stands atop the list with a transfer market value of €206M.
Real Madrid talent Vinicius Junior (€185M) takes the second spot, ahead of Erling Haaland (€153M), Barcelona starlet Pedri Gonzalez (€135M), and another Dortmund representative – Jude Bellingham (€134M), making up the top five.
No Serie A players make it into the top ten, as Inter striker Lautaro Martinez is the highest-rated player from the Italian league in 11th spot with a market value of €107M, followed by Nicolo Barella (€95M) and Dusan Vlahovic, who closes the podium with an increase in market value to €88M since his Juventus move.
Fourteen players from six Italian clubs made the CIES shortlist, with Juventus seeing four of their players make it to the top – the highest – followed by three each from Milan and Inter. Roma have two representatives, followed by one from Napoli and Lazio.
Thirteen of the top 100 players represent Manchester City, the highest of any club, followed closely by Real Madrid (8), Barcelona (7), and Bayern Munich & Chelsea (6 each).