Key facts
- England's 2026 World Cup squad is the most valuable, valued at €1.454 billion.
- France and Spain follow with squad valuations of €1.436 billion and €1.407 billion, respectively.
- CIES Football Observatory uses a statistical model based on performance, age, transfer fees, contract length, and club.
- Spain's Lamine Yamal is the most valuable individual player at €358 million.
- Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are the second and third most valuable players.
England has been named as having the most valuable squad of players heading into the 2026 World Cup, according to research by the CIES Football Observatory. The independent research centre, which is utilized by FIFA and major football clubs, has valued the England squad at €1.454 billion (£1.254 billion).
This valuation places England marginally ahead of tournament favorites France, whose squad is worth €1.436 billion (£1.238 billion), and current European champions Spain, with a total squad valuation of €1.407 billion (£1.213 billion).
England's top ranking comes despite manager Thomas Tuchel's decision to omit several high-profile players, including Phil Foden and Cole Palmer. The tournament is set to begin on Thursday in Mexico.
Germany is the only other nation with a squad valued at over €1 billion, followed by Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil, and Argentina. Scotland is ranked 31st out of 48 teams with a valuation of €158 million (£136 million), while Iran is at the bottom with €12 million.
The valuations are determined by a complex statistical model considering factors such as player performance, age, previous transfer fees, contract length, club affiliation, and position. Individually, Spain's Lamine Yamal is rated as the most valuable player with an estimated transfer price of €358 million (£309 million). He is followed by Norway and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland (€227 million / £196 million), and France's Kylian Mbappe (€166 million / £143 million) and Michael Olise (€141 million / £121 million). Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers is the highest-valued player within the England squad, estimated at €137 million (£118 million).