Lamine Yamal Tops the List of the World's Most Valuable Players

The young Spaniard Lamine Yamal continues to solidify his position as one of the most prominent stars in global football, having made a new leap in his market value. He has significantly distanced himself from all his competitors and tops the list of the world's most valuable players according to the latest estimates by the CIES Football Observatory.

Despite the muscle injury that kept him off the field during the last weeks of the season, the market value of the Barcelona and Spain national team star rose to 358.1 million euros, an increase of 15 million euros compared to the update issued last January.

This exceptional figure underscores the significant impact Yamal has had on European football in a short period, as he surpassed his closest competitor, Norwegian Erling Haaland, Manchester City's forward, by approximately 131 million euros, with Haaland's market value reaching 227.3 million euros.

Frenchman Kylian Mbappe ranks third with a value estimated at 165.7 million euros, while Yamal and Haaland remain the only ones who have surpassed the 200 million euro mark in the current ranking.

List of the 10 most expensive players in the world

Lamine Yamal – 358.1 million euros

Erling Haaland – 227.3 million euros

Kylian Mbappé – 165.7 million euros

Michael Olise – 140.5 million euros

Morgan Rogers – 136.8 million euros

Desiree Douai - 133.2 million euros

Kinan Yildiz – 133 million euros

Nico O'Reilly – 125 million euros

Arda Güler – 124.8 million euros

Pau Cubarsi – 124.6 million euros

The ranking saw a remarkable presence of several rising young talents, led by Arda Güler of Real Madrid, alongside Pau Cubarsi, the Barcelona defender who has become the highest market-valued defender in the world.

Kouparsy surpassed prominent names in his position, most notably Dean Huysen, valued at 112 million euros, and William Saliba, valued at 97.4 million euros. The list of the highest-valued defenders also included Eric Garcia and Raul Asensio.

In the midfield, Pedri maintained his lead among players in his position with a market value of 120.6 million euros, slightly ahead of Portuguese player João Neves.

As for goalkeepers, Joan Garcia ranked second globally with a value of 78 million euros, behind the Italian Gianluigi Donnarumma, who topped the list by just 1.5 million euros.

The latest update saw significant changes in the valuation of several players, with Englishman Jude Bellingham being the most notable decline, as his market value dropped from 233.8 million euros in June 2025 to 120.3 million euros currently.

On the other hand, Yan Diomande stole the spotlight after making the biggest leap in market value, rising from just two million euros during his time with Leganes to 118.7 million euros, becoming one of the most prominent rising names in European football.