The FIFA World Cup kicked off in Qatar on Sunday, bringing together many of the highest-paid stars in professional sports. The quadrennial event is not just a gathering of the world’s greatest teams, it is also big business. The four-year cycle of this World Cup will bring in an estimated $7.5 billion in revenue.
However, this pales in comparison to the revenues of club teams. The 20 biggest soccer clubs totaled $9 billion in revenue for the 2020-2021 season alone, according to Deloitte’s Football Money League report. Soccer clubs are businesses and like any business they will only hire employees if they believe they are worth more money than they are paid. (These are the best men’s national soccer teams of 2022.)
The most expensive soccer club employees are the players, and numerous factors are considered to determine their potential value. The most obvious is their ability on the field, but there are several aspects outside of talent that affect their transfer value.
To compile a list of the soccer players with the highest transfer value – the estimated amount for which a team can sell a player’s contract to another team – 24/7 Tempo reviewed data published by Transfermarkt, a German-based site covering soccer transfers and other statistics. Information on the age, position, club, and league of each player also came from Transfermarkt.
High-scoring players are usually valued higher because they are exciting to watch in action and help bring in fans. That may be why there is only one player on the back defensive line on this list, and no goalies.
The actions of players off the pitch can also affect their value. Players that are controversial for immature behavior, offensive comments, or lack of commitment will be valued lower than those that stay out of the news. Clubs want to focus on winning games, not public relations crises.
Younger players are valued higher because they likely have long careers ahead of them and time to grow, and could become club mainstays for years to come. None of the 10 highest-valued players is over 30 years old and not one of the top five is over 25.
Click here to see the most valuable players at the World Cup
Neither Lionel Messi (age 35) or Cristiano Ronaldo (age 37), the two highest paid players in professional soccer, are on the list. Neymar (age 30) is the third-highest paid player in soccer, yet he is 23rd in transfer value. Older players may still be able to perform for the moment but that could quickly change with injuries or waning ability with age. Being older does help when it comes to records, however; Ronaldo is one of the all-time top goal scorers at the World Cup.
To compile a list of the soccer players with the highest transfer value, 24/7 Tempo reviewed a report by consumer data site Statista. Information on players’ market value and soccer player positions came from Transfermarkt.com, a German-based site for soccer transfers and other statistics.
Source: Edilzon Gamez / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
25. Antony (Brazil)
> Market value: $77.25 million
> Age: 22
> Position: Right winger
> Current club: Manchester United
> League: Premier League (England)
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Source: Pool / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
24. Lautaro Martínez (Argentina)
> Market value: $77.25 million
> Age: 25
> Position: Center forward
> Current club: Inter Milan
> League: Serie A (Italy)
Source: Pool / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
23. Neymar (Brazil)
> Market value: $77.25 million
> Age: 30
> Position: Left winger
> Current club: Paris Saint-Germain
> League: Ligue 1 (France)
Source: David Ramos / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
22. Rúben Dias (Portugal)
> Market value: $77.25 million
> Age: 25
> Position: Center back
> Current club: Manchester City
> League: Premier League (England)
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Source: Alex Livesey / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
21. Gabriel Jesus (Brazil)
> Market value: $77.25 million
> Age: 25
> Position: Center forward
> Current club: Arsenal
> League: Premier League (England)
Source: Michael Regan / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
20. Mason Mount (England)
> Market value: $77.25 million
> Age: 23
> Position: Attacking midfielder
> Current club: Chelsea
> League: Premier League (England)
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Source: Angel Martinez / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
19. Rodrygo (Brazil)
> Market value: $82.40 million
> Age: 21
> Position: Right winger
> Current club: Real Madrid
> League: La Liga (Spain)
Source: Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
18. Aurélien Tchouameni (France)
> Market value: $82.40 million
> Age: 22
> Position: Defensive midfielder
> Current club: Real Madrid
> League: La Liga (Spain)
Source: Fran Santiago / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
17. Rodri (Spain)
> Market value: $82.40 million
> Age: 26
> Position: Defensive midfielder
> Current club: Manchester City
> League: Premier League (England)
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Source: Alex Livesey / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
16. Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium)
> Market value: $82.40 million
> Age: 31
> Position: Attacking midfielder
> Current club: Manchester City
> League: Premier League (England)
Source: Justin Setterfield / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
15. Declan Rice (England)
> Market value: $82.40 million
> Age: 23
> Position: Defensive midfielder
> Current club: West Ham United
> League: Premier League (England)
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Source: Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
14. Joshua Kimmich (Germany)
> Market value: $82.40 million
> Age: 27
> Position: Defensive midfielder
> Current club: Bayern München
> League: Bundesliga (Germany)
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Source: Richard Heathcote / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
13. Bernardo Silva (Portugal)
> Market value: $82.40 million
> Age: 28
> Position: Attacking midfielder
> Current club: Manchester City
> League: Premier League (England)
Source: Gabriele Maltinti / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
12. Dušan Vlahović (Serbia)
> Market value: $82.40 million
> Age: 22
> Position: Center forward
> Current club: Juventus
> League: Serie A (Italy)
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Source: Marco Luzzani / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
11. Rafael Leão (Portugal)
> Market value: $87.55 million
> Age: 23
> Position: Left winger
> Current club: AC Milan
> League: Serie A (Italy)
Source: Alex Caparros / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
10. Gavi (Spain)
> Market value: $92.70 million
> Age: 18
> Position: Central midfielder
> Current club: Barcelona
> League: La Liga (Spain)
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Source: Pool / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
9. Bukayo Saka (England)
> Market value: $92.70 million
> Age: 21
> Position: Right midfielder
> Current club: Arsenal
> League: Premier League (England)
Source: Michael Regan / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
8. Harry Kane (England)
> Market value: $92.70 million
> Age: 29
> Position: Center forward
> Current club: Tottenham Hotspur
> League: Premier League (England)
Source: Angel Martinez / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
7. Federico Valverde (Uruguay)
> Market value: $103.00 million
> Age: 24
> Position: Central midfielder
> Current club: Real Madrid
> League: La Liga (Spain)
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Source: Aitor Alcalde / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
6. Pedri (Spain)
> Market value: $103.00 million
> Age: 19
> Position: Central midfielder
> Current club: Barcelona
> League: La Liga (Spain)
Source: Matthias Hangst / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
5. Jamal Musiala (Germany)
> Market value: $103.00 million
> Age: 19
> Position: Attacking midfielder
> Current club: Bayern München
> League: Bundesliga (Germany)
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Source: Alex Pantling / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
4. Jude Bellingham (England)
> Market value: $103.00 million
> Age: 19
> Position: Central midfielder
> Current club: Borussia Dortmund
> League: Bundesliga (Germany)
Source: Clive Mason / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
3. Phil Foden (England)
> Market value: $113.30 million
> Age: 22
> Position: Central midfielder
> Current club: Manchester City
> League: Premier League (England)
Source: Shaun Botterill / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
2. Vinícius Júnior (Brazil)
> Market value: $123.60 million
> Age: 22
> Position: Left winger
> Current club: Real Madrid
> League: La Liga (Spain)
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Source: Michael Regan / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
1. Kylian Mbappé (France)
> Market value: $164.80 million
> Age: 23
> Position: Forward
> Current club: Paris Saint-Germain
> League: Ligue 1 (France)
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