Lamine Yamal tops ranking of world’s most valuable players at $338 million: Where does Mbappe stand?
Most soccer fans and analysts would probably agree that the two biggest stars in the sport right now are Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal. Nearly a decade apart in age and very different in style, both have earned central roles at Real Madrid and Barcelona, as well as with their respective national teams.
That status is also reflected in their market value. A recent list published by the specialized website Football Benchmark places Yamal as the most valuable player in the world, with an estimated valuation of €286.8 million (around $338 million).
The winger’s youth — he is just 18 years old — is a key factor in that assessment, but so is his current form. Despite his inexperience, Lamine already wears Barcelona’s No. 10 jersey and is one of the team’s main stars. He is a regular with the Spain national team and finished second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or voting.
Second on the list is Kylian Mbappe, with an estimated value of €232.2 million (approximately $274 million). While the French forward’s performances at both club and international level could arguably place him above Yamal, factors working against him include his age — he is 27 — and the fact that he joined Real Madrid as a free agent just a year and a half ago, making a short- or mid-term transfer unlikely.
The top ten most valuable players in the world
According to Football Benchmark, behind Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe, the third-most valuable player in the world is Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker for Manchester City is currently valued at around $243 million.
The top ten is rounded out by Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham ($209 million), Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka ($165 million), Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz ($163 million), Barcelona’s Pedri ($163 million), Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise ($157 million), Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior ($157 million), and Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala ($145 million).
What has been the most expensive transfer in soccer history?
These figures come from a study that considers variables such as performance, age, and resale potential in order to determine a player’s valuation. However, it is ultimately the actual fees clubs pay in transfers that define a player’s true market value.
Even so, these reports help put today’s players into perspective and highlight what past superstars represented in financial terms. That becomes clear when comparing Football Benchmark’s estimates with real transfer fees from previous years.
Among the current top ten, only two players — if hypothetically sold at their estimated values — would become the most expensive signing in soccer history. The €222 million that Paris Saint-Germain paid to Barcelona for Neymar in 2017 would only be surpassed by the current valuations attributed to Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe.