SportsErling Haaland tops global rankings as world’s priciest footballer

Erling Haaland tops global rankings as world’s priciest footballer

Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Vinicius Junior
Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Vinicius Junior
Images source: © Getty Images | Eurasia Sport Images, Matt McNulty, Soccrates Images
Karol Osiński

2 October 2024 07:03

Market prices for the best football players in the world reach astronomical amounts, but only one sits in the leader’s chair. According to the latest ranking from the website Transfermarkt.de, there has been a change in the number one position. The value of the most expensive footballer is estimated at CAD 284 million.

Transfer fees and player values do not always go hand in hand, but it is a fact that clubs have to pay other clubs very large, often absurd amounts of money for the most valuable players. The best example is the transfer of Brazilian Neymar from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017. The authorities of the Parisian team then paid the Catalans CAD 316 million, which is a transfer record of all time.

It also happens that the most valuable players do not extend contracts with their employers to join new ones for free, as in 2024 when Kylian Mbappe moved from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid. A player's value is influenced by several aspects—his age, contract length, personal brand, and, above all, his football skills.

The most popular website for valuing players is Transfermarkt.de, where you can find information about player values from almost the entire world. After the latest update of football players' market prices, we learned that the new most expensive footballer in the world is Norwegian forward Erling Haaland from Manchester City.

Erling Haaland the new most expensive footballer in the world

The value of the 24-year-old striker for the Champions of England has increased by CAD 28 million compared to the previous ranking. It was CAD 256 million at the time, meaning his current value is CAD 284 million. The Norwegian surpassed three Real Madrid stars, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham, valued at CAD 256 million.

Erling Haaland became the second footballer whose value reached CAD 284 million. The first was the aforementioned Mbappe, who could boast the same from December 2018 to April 2020.

This is the ranking of the most expensive footballers in the world according to Transfermarkt.de:

              
  1. Erling Haaland (Manchester City) - CAD 284 million
  2. Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham (all Real Madrid) - CAD 256 million
  3. Phil Foden (Manchester City) - CAD 213 million
  4. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) - CAD 198 million
  5. Rodri (Manchester City), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich) and Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen) - CAD 185 million
  6. Lamine Yamal (FC Barcelona), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid) and Declan Rice (Arsenal) - CAD 171 million
Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland© Getty Images | Matt McNulty