Lamine Yamal Leads CIES 2025 Football Market Value Rankings
Vini Jr leads Brazil’s contingent in a list dominated by Premier League players
Lamine Yamal, FC Barcelona’s teenage sensation, has officially become the most valuable footballer in the world at least in market terms. According to a new CIES Football Observatory study released this Wednesday, the 16-year-old starlet is valued at an eye-watering €402.3 million, topping a list filled with global icons like Erling Haaland (€238.9M) and Jude Bellingham (€234.5M).
Top 10 Most Valuable Players (CIES – 2025 Edition)
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) – €402.3M
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City) – €238.9M
- Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) – €234.5M
- Kylian Mbappé (PSG)
- Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
- Pedri (Barcelona)
- Vinícius Jr (Real Madrid)
- Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
- Julián Álvarez (Manchester City)
- Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
Brazil’s Rising Stars: 11 in the Top 100
Brazil continues to be a talent factory. The country has 11 players in the top 100, with Vinícius Jr ranked 7th globally and leading all Brazilian entries.
Brazilian Players in the CIES Top 100:
- Vinícius Jr (7th) – R$837.5M
- Rodrygo (11th) – R$773.9M
- Savinho (22nd) – R$647.4M
- Gabriel Martinelli (41st) – R$558.8M
- Raphinha (48th) – R$530.5M
- Estêvão (49th) – R$529.2M
- Endrick (51st) – R$520M
- João Pedro (73rd) – R$441.2M
- Lucas Beraldo (81st) – R$417.4M
- Murillo (83rd) – R$410.4M
- Evanílson (90th) – R$393M
Among them, Estêvão is one of just a few players on the list who don’t currently play in one of Europe’s top five leagues, though he’s already secured a move to Chelsea from Palmeiras.
English Football Leads the Way
In terms of league representation:
- Premier League: 42 players
- La Liga (Spain): 19 players
- Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1: Varying lesser numbers
- PSG is the club with the most representatives 11 players despite the Premier League’s dominance.
Outside the top five European leagues, only four players made the cut:
- Estêvão (Palmeiras, Brazil)
- Samu Aghehowa and Viktor Gyökeres (Portugal)
- Jhon Durán (Saudi Arabia)
CIES Valuation Method
The CIES Football Observatory bases its calculations on a combination of factors, including:
- Age and contract length
- Club and league status
- Performance statistics
- International reputation
- Potential resale value
This methodology makes it clear why Lamine Yamal, with a long-term contract, youth on his side, and world-class performances, tops the list.
