Here Are The Most Valuable Players Going Into FIFA World Cup 2022 In Qatar
Not Messi or Ronaldo. Here are the most valuable players heading into Qatar World Cup 2022.
France's forward Kylian Mbappe and Brazil's winger Vinicius Junior are the two most valuable players heading into the Qatar World Cup 2022.
Mbappe, who plies his trade at Paris Saint Germain and scored a goal in the final to take his country to glory in 2018, is valued at 170 million euros ($175.8 million), according to Transfermarkt. Junior, who played a crucial role in Real Madrid's Champions League triumph last season, commands a figure of 120 million euros.
England duo Phil Foden (110 million euros) and Jude Bellingham (100 million euros) closely trail the two along with Spain's Pedri (100 million euros).
The valuation is the estimated amount a football club needs to pay to secure the services of a player. A stellar or a dismal performance at the World Cup can wildly swing this number. Mesut Ozil in 2010 and James Rodriguez in 2014 are two examples of players who secured large money moves to Real Madrid on the back of impressive tournaments.
With the January transfer window opening soon after the FIFA World Cup, performances in Qatar will have a bearing on how much players will be valued at in any potential change of club.
Most valuable players heading into Qatar World Cup. (Source: BQ Prime)
Argentina's Lionel Messi (100th) and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (462nd), arguably the two best players of all time, are no longer among the world's most valuable players due to their age and huge wages.
Eight of the 10 most valuable players are European, except Vinicius Junior and Uruguay's Federico Valverde.
Transfermarkt arrives at the market value of players taking into consideration age, performance, nationality, and the length of contract with the current club. Younger players with high potential tend to be the most sought-after.