Putting together a football player rating is not an exact science at the best of times, in a market that fluctuates with shape, age and general financial environment. Looking out of control at one stage – with PSG’s £190m signing of Neymar in 2017 representing a high watermark – fees have fallen a bit in recent years, but only slightly.
So, with the 2021/22 season now behind us and the World Cup parade in Qatar steadily looming, who are the most valuable players on the planet. Until transfers are made, and fees paid, this will always be something of a subjective list, but using data collected by the respected CIES Football Observatory, we present the five most valuable players in the global game. All the players they see lining up for your club are likely to be delighted, and they are all likely to write headlines on your favorite football site.
5. Judd Bellingham – 114.5 million pounds
- age – 18
- club – Borussia Dortmund
- nationality – Einglish
Simply amazing midfield talent. Soon, Stourbridge’s Bellingham emerged as something out of the ordinary at his first professional club in Birmingham City. In his debut at the age of 16 years and 38 days, Judd’s relentless leadership may have been a little off-kilter in those early days, but it nonetheless caught the eye of Borussia Dortmund who have sold £25m for his services in 2020.
And in Germany, the stray talent turned into a real star. He seems to carry the whole team forward with him at times with those midfield drills, a skilled presence in a two-axle, or when deployed to the left of three forwards; Add cunning and ingenuity in and around the area to become one of the Bundesliga’s outstanding midfield talents. Still only 18 years old, Bellingham has already crossed the 100 career appearance mark as well as winning 13 caps for his country.
4. Pedri – 115.7 million pounds
- age – 19
- club – Barcelona
- nationality – Spanish
Spain has certainly benefited from a long list of exceptional midfield maestros, with the likes of Pep Guardiola, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and Xavi among the center’s best advocates of the modern era. In the coming years, it seems very likely that the name Pedri Barcelona will be added to that list.
Born in Tegueste in 2002, Pedro Gonzalez Lopez caught the attention of the Spanish giants in 2019, signing for Barcelona for a reported €5 million – which already looks like one of the thefts of the century. Technically excellent and great in tight spaces, Pedri always seems to have time on the ball – often the hallmark of true greats. Great vision, the ability to find the killer pass with either foot, and you have one of the finest midfield talents on the planet.
The @world Cup It was the stage for some of the greatest players 🏆
However, he also missed out on some legends😯
Here are 10 of them 🙂#world Cup #FIFA #FIFA 22 #world Cup #Qatar 2022 https://t.co/h8nXepKdOw
– FootTheBall FC (FootTheBallFC) 6 June 2022
3- Erling Haaland – 130.7 million pounds
- age – 21
- club – City of Manchester
- nationality – norwegian
He is simply the most destructive striker who has appeared on the world stage in recent times. Erling, son of former Norway international midfielder Alf Inge Haaland, may be only 21, but he already appears to be at the center of attack. At 6-foot-4, the new Manchester City man has all the physical traits of a traditional target man, but there’s a lot more to his game than that.
Fast, powerful, direct and with an uncanny ability to pick the right run at the right time, Haaland is a nightmare for opposing defenders to try to stop. Then of course there are the goals. Top scorer in the Champions League at 20-21, the prolific Norwegian left Dortmund with an incredible record of 85 goals in 88 matches. Manchester City picked her for ‘only’ £51.2m in 2022, due to a pre-existing release clause in his contract, just what he will do in Manchester City’s brilliantly efficient attacking system is a frightening prospect for the rest of the Premier League. .
2. Vinicius Jr – 158.6 million pounds
- age – 21
- club – Real Madrid
- nationality – Brazilian
And in second place on the list we have the best left-sided attacking threat in the game – Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior. Simply Vini Jr. To many, or Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior to give him his full title, this brilliance Brazilian broke the transfer record for the under-19 player when Real Madrid bought him from Flamengo for €46m in 2018.
Stabbed by a tendon injury, Vini Jr was primarily used as a support player over his first three seasons at the club, but he began to display his unquestioned talents at 20/21, before flaring up on 21/22 – aggregating numbers from 21 goals and 16 assists in 43 matches in La Liga and the Champions League, and played a pivotal role in Carlo Ancelotti’s double-win side. Strong, straightforward and with the power to run a sixpence, this star talent looks like a doll, nutmeg, and skips her way straight to the top.
1. Kylian Mbappe – £176m
- age – 23
- club – Paris Saint-Germain
- nationality – French
And tops the heap of the world’s most sought-after strikers, French flying machine Kylian Mbappe. Born in Paris, Kylian made his name in the Principality of Monaco, and Stade Louis II lit up with a number of dazzling displays during a title-winning campaign.
It wasn’t long before PSG called, adding Mbappe to his huge pool of stars, initially on loan, before paying £162m for his services permanently in 2018.
One of the sport’s most impressive naturalistic athletes, Mbappé combines strength and fitness with a 100-meter sprinter’s speed and an impressive range of skills in tight spaces – regularly blasting away from seemingly impossible situations. Improving his finish with each passing season the France international is a serious threat to goals from anywhere in and around the region.
Long touted as a move to Real Madrid, right? had won? The saga ended in 2022, with Mbappe signing for three more seasons with his hometown club. Already a five-time French Ligue 1 and World Cup winner, the Ballon d’Or may one day follow this incredible talent.
