Lamine Yamal Named World’s Most Valuable Player at €358.1m as Victor Osimhen Fails to Make CIES Top 100

Barcelona and Spain winger Lamine Yamal has been identified as the most valuable footballer on the planet in the CIES Football Observatory‘s latest transfer value rankings, released ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 18-year-old carries an estimated market value of €358.1 million, a figure that places him significantly ahead of every other player in world football according to the Swiss-based research group’s statistical model.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland occupies second position with a valuation of €227.3 million, while Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé is ranked third at €165.7 million. Bayern München’s Michael Olise (€140.5m) and Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers (€136.8m) complete the top five, with both players’ high rankings reflecting the CIES model’s strong weighting towards youth and long-term resale potential.

Yamal’s valuation is underpinned by several key variables within the CIES methodology: his long-term contract at Barcelona, his consistent output at both club and international level, and his age profile, which maximises projected future value. The Spanish international has established himself as one of the most prominent players in European football despite still being a teenager.

The remainder of the top 20 features a concentration of young talent from Europe’s top clubs. Paris Saint-Germain’s Désiré Doué (€133.2m) and Juventus midfielder Kenan Yildiz (€133.0m) rank sixth and seventh respectively, followed by Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly (€125.0m) and Real Madrid’s Arda Güler (€124.8m). Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí rounds out the top ten at €124.6m.

Positions 11 through 20 include Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz (€120.6m) and Hugo Ekitike (€117.1m), Barcelona’s Pedri (€120.3m) and Fermín López (€113.4m), Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham (€118.7m) and Dean Huijsen (€111.2m), RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomandé (€118.3m), Paris Saint-Germain’s João Neves (€115.9m), Chelsea’s Estêvão Willian (€112.0m), and Arsenal captain Bukayo Saka (€110.6m).

A significant finding within the rankings is the complete absence of Nigeria international Victor Osimhen, who does not appear within the top 100 most valuable players. The 27-year-old is currently on loan at Galatasaray in the Turkish Süper Lig, having departed Napoli — the club with which he won the Serie A title in the 2022-23 season — ahead of the current campaign. The CIES model penalises players competing outside Europe’s top five leagues, and Osimhen’s age relative to the younger players dominating the list has further reduced his standing in the valuation framework.

Osimhen’s market position has been a recurring subject of speculation in recent transfer windows. His €75 million release clause at Galatasaray has attracted reported interest from several Premier League clubs, though his absence from the CIES top 100 signals a meaningful shift in how data-driven valuations now assess his profile compared to his peak Napoli years. According to reports, Chelsea have been among the clubs to explore his availability, though a move has not materialised.

The CIES Football Observatory, based in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, produces regular statistical analyses of professional football using an econometric model that incorporates age, contract length, international status, club strength, and league level to generate transfer value estimates. Its rankings are widely referenced within the industry as an independent benchmark of player market worth.