Erling Haaland tops most valuable list: CIES most expensive players

Research group CIES Football Observatory has released the update rankings of the most valuable players in world football.

Manchester City’s striking sensation Erling Haaland tops the list, with an estimated value of €245 million. He is significantly ahead of Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr (€196m) and Arsenal star Bukayo Saka (€195m).

Completing the top five are Jude Bellingham (€190m) and Rodrygo Goes (€185m). If Bellingham’s expected summer switch to Real Madrid is completed, Madrid would have three of the world’s five most valuable players at Santiago Bernabéu.

Here’s the rest of the top ten…

6. Pedri Gonzalez, Barcelona – €178 million

7. Pablo Gavi, Barcelona – €174 million

8. Jamal Musiala, Bayern Munich – €170 million

9. Phil Foden, Manchester City – €167 million

10. Kylian Mbappe, Paris Saint-Germain – €163 million

How is the CIES most valuable list calculated?

Many will be surprised to see that Mbappe, often spoken about as the finest player on the planet, only sneaks into the top ten. This is due to the method used in the CIES value rankings.

Their analysis takes into account the player’s age, position, goals, assists and number of appearances for their national team. Crucially, it also includes the length of time left on the player’s contract.

It is thought that Mbappe’s current deal includes a clause that would allow him to cancel his contract in 2024 if PSG have not achieved European success. This means that he could, potentially, leave on a free next summer, bringing down his value in the CIES rankings.

CIES have also calculated each player’s hypothetical value if they had three or more years left on their contract. In this situation, Mbappe (€261m) would be at number two behind only Vinicius Jr (€314.9m). Both players’ current contract are due to end in the summer of 2024 so are just 12 months away from being available for free.