Yamal Tops the List of Highest Value in the World, Far Ahead of Haaland and Mbappe

Lamine Yamal continues to solidify his place among the top global football stars, having topped the list of players with the highest market value according to the latest report from the CIES Observatory, benefiting from the outstanding season he had with Barcelona and the Spanish national team.

The statistical report indicated that the 18-year-old Barcelona forward leads the ranking with a market value of 358 million euros, significantly ahead of Norwegian Erling Haaland, who came second with a value of 227 million euros, while Frenchman Kylian Mbappe ranked third with a value of 166 million euros.

This evaluation comes after a successful season for Lamine Yamal with Barcelona, during which he won the Spanish League and the Spanish Super Cup, in addition to achieving his best goal tally in his career so far, having increased his tally from 18 goals in the 2024/2025 season to 24 goals during the 2025/2026 season.

In various positions, Italian Gianluigi Donnarumma topped the goalkeeper rankings, while Barcelona duo Pau Cubarsi and Pedri led the defender and midfielder rankings respectively.

The report added that Leipzig winger Jan Diomande was the player with the highest increase in market value compared to the previous study released last January, with his value increasing by 75 million euros, while Liverpool forward Alexander Isak recorded the largest decline with a decrease of 54 million euros.

When comparing the results with the study released a year ago, Jan Diomande maintained the top spot on the list of players with the most growth in market value with an increase of 116 million euros, while Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham experienced the most decline after his value dropped by 113 million euros.