World's most valuable footballer revealed
Spanish sensation Lamine Yamal has been named the world's most valuable footballer, according to the latest rankings published by the CIES Football Observatory, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
The 18-year-old FC Barcelona winger leads the list of the 100 players with the highest estimated transfer values, with a valuation of €358.1 million, placing him well ahead of the competition.
Second on the list is Erling Haaland of Manchester City at €227.3 million, while Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid ranks third with a value of €165.7 million. No other player surpassed the €200 million mark.
The top 20 also features Michael Olise (€140.5 million), Morgan Rogers (€136.8 million), Désiré Doué (€133.2 million), Kenan Yildiz (€133 million), Arda Güler (€124.8 million), Florian Wirtz (€124.1 million), Pedri (€120.6 million), Jude Bellingham (€120.3 million) and Bukayo Saka (€111.2 million).
Among position leaders, Gianluigi Donnarumma topped the goalkeepers, while Pau Cubarsí led centre-backs, Nico O'Reilly wide backs, Pedri central midfielders and Arda Güler attacking midfielders.
CIES also highlighted the biggest market value shifts. Yan Diomandé recorded the largest increase since January, gaining €75 million to reach €118.7 million, while Alexander Isak posted the largest decline, dropping €54 million to €41 million.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico is expected to introduce a new generation of football stars to the global stage, highlighting 15 young players to watch at the tournament.