20 most valuable footballers in the world

Football transfers appear to be out of control. Paul Pogba made history as the first player to earn £100 million. It seems like only yesterday. That type of sum is rather prevalent nowadays.

In the 2023 summer transfer window, defensive midfielders Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo signed for nine-figure amounts, with the latter being the most expensive Premier League transfer ever. Given that £100 million now only appears to buy you a 21-year-old midfielder with barely a year of English top-flight experience, imagine how much it will cost to recruit the world's finest player.

Erling Haaland.

The Telegraph

According to Transfermarkt's current estimates, Erling Haaland has surpassed his contemporaries to become the world's most valuable footballer. The Manchester City player is now worth €200 million (£166 million), surpassing Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr., and Kylian Mbappe, who were all valued at €180 million (£152 million).

1. Erling Haaland - £152m (Manchester City)

Erling Haaland, Manchester City's striker, has reclaimed his position as the world's most valuable player after losing it last season. Last season may have been a disappointment by his own lofty standards, but he has recovered spectacularly this season, setting the record for the quickest time to score ten Premier League goals at the start of a season.

The Norwegian cost City a staggering £51 million and has proven to be an outstanding value. Pep Guardiola described him as 'special' when Haaland broke Alan Shearer and Andy Cole's league goals record in 2022/23, while Rio Ferdinand remarked following City's 7-0 win over RB Leipzig that Haaland adds 'a powerhouse' to his current team. It's frightening to think that the 24-year-old is yet to achieve his peak after being named the IFFHS footballer of 2023.

2. Jude Bellingham - £152m (Real Madrid)

In recent years, Jude Bellingham has established himself as one of the world's greatest players. The Englishman joined Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in 2023 for a basic transfer price of £88.5 million, and he was handed the number five jersey at the Santiago Bernabeu, which had previously been worn by famous figure Zinedine Zidane.

Has he perpetuated Zidane's legacy by wearing his renowned jersey? So far, so good. Bellingham, who is only 21 years old, has quickly established himself as one of Madrid's most significant players, scoring 20 goals in all competitions by the spring of his rookie season while starting in midfield. That remarkable return explains why the former Dortmund star is already regarded as one of the best English players to have played overseas.

3. Vinicius Junior - £152m (Real Madrid)

Vinicius Junior was predicted to be the next Neymar when he initially joined Real Madrid, and he has more than lived up to the expectations. While he struggled for goals in his first few seasons with the club, he has now blossomed into one of the world's most productive wingers. The Brazilian has reached double digits in both goals and assists over the previous two La Liga seasons, demonstrating that he is as inventive as he is clinical after putting the last nail in Dortmund's coffin in the 2023-24 Champions League final at Wembley.

Vinicius, along with Bellingham, has emerged as the club's key star after Karim Benzema's departure. Defenders fear going up against the speedy and nimble wide player because he never turns off and, as a consequence, never allows an opposition full-back to relax. Many expect Vinicius to be in the running for the Ballon d'Or shortly.

4. Kylian Mbappe - £152m (Real Madrid)

After finally putting pen to paper on the lengthy process of becoming a Real Madrid player, Kylian Mbappe will now seek to win the European Cup. Widely regarded as the finest footballer since the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi duopoly ended, the Frenchman already has a World Cup and six league championships to his name, and additional room in his trophy cabinet will be required to accommodate his coming triumph in the Spanish capital.

Despite being valued at £152 million, Real Madrid signed him on a free transfer after he was out of contract at PSG. They did, however, give Mbappe a massive nine-figure signing-on fee, in addition to his high monthly salary.

5. Phil Foden - £126m (Manchester City)

Phil Foden of Manchester City is ranked fifth on the list, valued at £126 million. The 24-year-old has already appeared in almost 200 games for Manchester City and won 17 trophies in his career, including a record treble in the 2022/23 season and his most productive campaign in the previous one.

Foden, one of the most technically skilled English players of this age, is a great dribbler with room for improvement. His start to the 2024/25 season has been sluggish, as he has only made a few appearances for Pep Guardiola's side thus far, but the season is still early.

6. Bukayo Saka - £118m (Arsenal)

Arsenal star Bukayo Saka is close behind compatriot Foden. The Englishman signed a new four-year contract that will keep him at the club until 2027; combine this with further excellent performances for the Gunners in 2023/24, and you can see why his worth is so high right now.

Mikel Arteta's club is presently one of Europe's best, and Saka was the driving force behind the Gunners' title run, albeit nearly losing to Foden's City. Saka is one of the top Premier League wingers, and unlike Foden, he is a consistent performer for his nation, shining at Euro 2024 and contributing in crucial times.

7. Florian Wirtz - £110m (Bayer Leverkusen)

Florian Wirtz, perhaps the most vital gear in Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen machine, played a key role in his team's Bundesliga title-winning campaign, which had exactly zero losses.

At 21 years old, he might be forgiven for exhibiting anxiety and anxiousness at times. Wirtz, on the other hand, is wise beyond his years, and with a supreme innate talent to know precisely what to do with the ball in whatever circumstance provided to him, the North Rhine-born orchestrator is prepared for the big moments. As a result, he may become the center of a transfer battle this summer, although there may not be a better club for him to continue growing than Leverkusen.

8. Jamal Musiala - £110m (Bayern Munich)

Believe it or not, Jamal Musiala attended Chelsea's youth academy. The German attended Whitgift School in Croydon before signing for Bayern Munich in 2019. Since then, he has developed into one of football's most admired young players, now an integral part of Bayern's side and the German national team - a story of what could have been for England after rising through the Three Lions' youth system with Jude Bellingham before taking advantage of his German passport.

Musiala is presently one of the top young players in the world, posing a dangerous and vicious threat to Europe's elite at such a young age. He was linked with a transfer to Liverpool in October 2023, but any team looking to sign him will most likely have to pay at least the £110 million he is worth now.

9. Rodri - £110m (Manchester City)

Rodri is widely regarded as the finest midfielder in the world right now. While he didn't struggle after joining Manchester City in 2019, it took him some time to regain his best form. However, he has been great in recent years, playing a vital role in City's 2022-23 Treble triumph, including scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final against Inter Milan.

Rodri maintained his level the next season as Pep Guardiola's side won their fourth consecutive Premier League championship, and in the summer of 2024, Rodri tasted international victory for the first team as Spain defeated England to win the European Championship. Rodri will miss the rest of the 2024/25 season due to an ACL injury, although this should not detract from his worth.

10. Lamine Yamal - £101m (Barcelona)

Another Spaniard, and quite an impressive one at that. At the age of 17, Lamine Yamal has established himself as one of the top wingers in international football. Not even Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi had made an impression at such a young age, demonstrating how spectacular Yamal's ascent has been.

Yamal appeared more than 50 times for Barcelona last season, trailing only Ilkay Gundogan, and he was given a key role for Spain at Euro 2024, starting all but one of La Roja's games on the way to victory in Germany. Yamal has a bright future ahead of him, and given how outstanding he has been to begin the 2024/25 season, it would be surprising if he does not one day become the most valuable player in the world.

11. Federico Valverde - £101m (Real Madrid)

12. Declan Rice - £101m (Arsenal)

13. Rodrygo - £93m (Real Madrid)

14. Lautaro Martinez - £93m (Inter Milan)

15. Martin Odegaard - £93m (Arsenal)

16. Eduardo Camavinga - £84m (Real Madrid)

17. Aurelien Tchouameni - £84m (Real Madrid)

18. Victor Osimhen - £84m (Napoli)

19. Harry Kane - £84m (Bayern Munich)

20. Cole Palmer - £76m (Chelsea)