Three National Football Teams Exceed €1 Billion in Market Value
Football has become big business in recent decades, with players and coaches costing clubs hundreds of millions in transfer fees and wages each year. Football is a global game whose players originate from every corner of the planet.
However, some countries produce exceptionally expensive players. In a recent study, SportingPedia, analysed the market value of the three squads that broke the €1 billion barrier. These squads have some of the best, and therefore, most prized football players. Here are the national teams with the highest market estimations in the world:
England (€1.29bn up from 1.23bn in September 2021)
Captain Harry Kane came through the youth ranks at Tottenham and is rated at €90 million by his current employers. The joint most valuable player in the squad is Manchester City youngster Phil Foden also rated at the €90 million mark.
The following two players are Liverpool’s full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, valued at around €80 million. None of the quartet are yet to be involved in a transfer, although the stated estimation is likely the least that any buying club would have to pay to sign the players in the near future.
France (€1.06bn down from €1.084bn in September 2021)
Without a doubt, the most valuable player in the world is PSG forward Kylian Mbappe, who spurned an opportunity to sign for Real Madrid as a free agent earlier this summer. Instead, he signed a new big-money deal in Paris. The 23-year-old is prized at around €160 million.
The next in the list in Didier Deschamps’ current squad is RB Leipzig attacker Christopher Nkunku, who is rated at around €80 million. The 24-year-old’s assessment is based on his stellar season in Leipzig. Despite signing a fresh contract, media reports have linked Nkunku with big-money moves to several of Europe’s top clubs this summer.
Several Les Bleus players are also valued around the €60 million mark, including Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde, Real Madrid new boy Aurelien Tchouameni, Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman and Bayer Leverkusen star Moussa Diaby.
Brazil (€1.01bn down from €1.18bn in September 2021)
The most valuable player in the Brazil squad is Real Madrid starlet Vinicius Junior, prized at a whopping €100 million. The 22-year-old established himself as one of football’s brightest stars in season 2021/22.
The second player on the list in the Selecao squad is PSG forward Neymar, whose current estimation is around €75 million. The 30-year-old has been the talisman for his national team for over a decade.
At number three we find Neymar’s PSG teammate, centre-back Marquinhos, who is rated by many as one of the best players of his position in football. The 28-year-old comes in at a cool €70 million.
Behind Marquinhos in value are the Real Madrid pair Eder Militao and Rodrygo, who both are expected to cost around €60 million, alongside Liverpool’s defensive midfield lynchpin Fabinho, who is rated at the same amount.