The Most Valuable Teams at the World Cup

By Hristina Byrnes Published Nov 23, 9:20AM EST

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The Most Valuable Teams at the World Cup — © Friedemann Vogel - Pool / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

Soccer fans did not have to wait long for the first major upset at the World Cup. In a moment that will go down in history as one of the biggest shockers in any edition of the tournament, world soccer powerhouse Argentina lost 2 to 1 to the virtually unknown team of Saudi Arabia on the third day of play in Qatar.

In other words, a team whose players are worth a combined total of $770 million lost to a team worth nearly 16 times less than that. (In all sports, these are the worst blunders in history.)

To compile a list of the most valuable national teams at the World Cup, 24/7 Tempo reviewed a report by consumer data site Statista. Information on players’ transfer value – the estimated amount for which a team can sell a player’s contract to another team – came from CIES Football Observatory, a website that specializes in the statistical analysis of soccer and players.

England’s squad has the highest collective transfer value, reaching just over $1.5 billion. The least expensive squad is that of Costa Rica. It is worth around 1.5% of England’s, at about $23 million.

Click here to see the most valuable teams at the World Cup

Argentina’s hiccup notwithstanding, money helps make teams better. The most valuable national teams are also generally those with the highest chances of winning the World Cup (at least before the group stage is over). Value doesn’t always correspond with quality, however. This is where the teams at the tournament rank in the world.

32. Costa Rica
> Transfer value: $24 million
> Most expensive player: Keylor Navas
> Keylor Navas’s transfer value: $4 million
> Club: Paris St-Germain (France)

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31. Qatar
> Transfer value: $29 million
> Most expensive player: Almoez Ali
> Almoez Ali’s transfer value: $4 million
> Club: Al-Duhail SC (Qatar)

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30. Australia
> Transfer value: $39 million
> Most expensive player: Ajdin Hrustić
> Ajdin Hrustić’s transfer value: $7 million
> Club: Hellas Verona (Italy)

29. Saudi Arabia
> Transfer value: $50 million
> Most expensive player: Saud Abdulhamid
> Saud Abdulhamid’s transfer value: $5 million
> Club: Al-Hilal SFC (Saudi Arabia)

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28. Iran
> Transfer value: $55 million
> Most expensive player: Mehdi Taremi
> Mehdi Taremi’s transfer value: $21 million
> Club: Porto (Portugal)

27. Tunisia
> Transfer value: $59 million
> Most expensive player: Montassar Talbi
> Montassar Talbi’s transfer value: $12 million
> Club: Lorient (France)

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26. South Korea
> Transfer value: $164 million
> Most expensive player: Heung-Min Son
> Heung-Min Son’s transfer value: $47 million
> Club: Tottenham Hotspur (England)

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25. Ecuador
> Transfer value: $168 million
> Most expensive player: Piero Hincapié
> Piero Hincapié’s transfer value: $40 million
> Club: Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)

24. Cameroon
> Transfer value: $182 million
> Most expensive player: André-Franck Zambo
> André-Franck Zambo’s transfer value: $34 million
> Club: SSC Napoli (Italy)

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23. Wales
> Transfer value: $186 million
> Most expensive player: Brennan Johnson
> Brennan Johnson’s transfer value: $27 million
> Club: Nottingham Forest (England)

Canada vs. Denmark (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Joshua Pearson

22. Canada
> Transfer value: $199 million
> Most expensive player: Alphonso Davies
> Alphonso Davies’s transfer value: $70 million
> Club: Bayern München (Germany)

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21. Mexico
> Transfer value: $201 million
> Most expensive player: Edson Álvarez
> Edson Álvarez’s transfer value: $28 million
> Club: AFC Ajax (Netherlands)

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20. Japan
> Transfer value: $211 million
> Most expensive player: Ritsu Doan
> Ritsu Doan’s transfer value: $30 million
> Club: SC Freiburg (Germany)

19. Ghana
> Transfer value: $213 million
> Most expensive player: Thomas Partey
> Thomas Partey’s transfer value: $26 million
> Club: Arsenal (England)

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18. Poland
> Transfer value: $322 million
> Most expensive player: Robert Lewandowski
> Robert Lewandowski’s transfer value: $61 million
> Club: Barcelona (Spain)

17. Morocco
> Transfer value: $324 million
> Most expensive player: Achraf Hakimi
> Achraf Hakimi’s transfer value: $82 million
> Club: Paris St-Germain (France)

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16. Senegal
> Transfer value: $324 million
> Most expensive player: Sadio Mané
> Sadio Mané’s transfer value: $74 million
> Club: Bayern München (Germany)

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15. United States
> Transfer value: $376 million
> Most expensive player: Christian Pulišić
> Christian Pulišić’s transfer value: $54 million
> Club: Chelsea (England)

14. Switzerland
> Transfer value: $377 million
> Most expensive player: Gregor Kobel
> Gregor Kobel’s transfer value: $53 million
> Club: Borussia Dortmund (Germany)

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13. Denmark
> Transfer value: $415 million
> Most expensive player: Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg
> Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg’s transfer value: $71 million
> Club: Tottenham Hotspur (England)

12. Serbia
> Transfer value: $416 million
> Most expensive player: Dušan Vlahović
> Dušan Vlahović’s transfer value: $100 million
> Club: Juventus (Italy)

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11. Croatia
> Transfer value: $492 million
> Most expensive player: Joško Gvardiol
> Joško Gvardiol’s transfer value: $113 million
> Club: RB Leipzig (Germany)

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10. Belgium
> Transfer value: $579 million
> Most expensive player: Thibaut Courtois
> Thibaut Courtois’s transfer value: $68 million
> Club: Real Madrid (Spain)

9. Uruguay
> Transfer value: $608 million
> Most expensive player: Federico Valverde
> Federico Valverde’s transfer value: $127 million
> Club: Real Madrid (Spain)

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8. Argentina
> Transfer value: $770 million
> Most expensive player: Lautaro Martínez
> Lautaro Martínez’s transfer value: $102 million
> Club: Inter Milan (Italy)

7. Netherlands
> Transfer value: $779 million
> Most expensive player: Frenkie de Jong
> Frenkie de Jong’s transfer value: $113 million
> Club: Barcelona (Spain)

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6. Germany
> Transfer value: $1.05 billion
> Most expensive player: Jamal Musiala
> Jamal Musiala’s transfer value: $156 million
> Club: Bayern München (Germany)

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5. Portugal
> Transfer value: $1.19 billion
> Most expensive player: Rúben Dias
> Rúben Dias’s transfer value: $122 million
> Club: Manchester City (England)

4. Spain
> Transfer value: $1.23 billion
> Most expensive player: Pedri González
> Pedri González’s transfer value: $163 million
> Club: Barcelona (Spain)

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3. France
> Transfer value: $1.38 billion
> Most expensive player: Kylian Mbappé
> Kylian Mbappé’s transfer value: $191 million
> Club: Paris St-Germain (France)

2. Brazil
> Transfer value: $1.50 billion
> Most expensive player: Vinícius Júnior
> Vinícius Júnior’s transfer value: $207 million
> Club: Real Madrid (Spain)

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1. England
> Transfer value: $1.54 billion
> Most expensive player: Jude Bellingham
> Jude Bellingham’s transfer value: $208 million
> Club: Borussia Dortmund (Germany)

About the Author Hristina Byrnes →

Hristina Byrnes is the editor of 247Tempo.com, where she handles the site's assignments and editing. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University, which she earned in 2012, and she specializes in translating complex health data research into engaging, accessible stories for a general audience.

When she's not poring over the latest data sets or brainstorming story ideas, you can find Hristina watching tennis, playing tennis with her son, or trying to get her daughter into tennis.