From Mbappé to Salah, explore the peak market values of football’s greatest stars across generations

Football’s ever changing market sees players rise and fall in value as records are broken with each transfer window. In 2024, Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid and Erling Haaland of Manchester City lead the pack, each boasting a market value of €200 million.

Players' peak years are shown in this ranking, highlighting times when they were the best in the sport. For example, Lionel Messi, who is currently at Inter Miami, was the most valuable player in 2017 while he was with Barcelona, earning €180 million. The same is true for Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, who peaked in 2018 at a market worth of €150 million after winning the Golden Boot and Puskás Award for his outstanding Premier League campaign.

Here’s the list of the top 15 most valuable players in football history:

Kylian Mbappé – €200M (Real Madrid)
Erling Haaland – €200M (Manchester City)
Vinícius Júnior – €200M (Real Madrid)
Lionel Messi – €180M (Barcelona)
Neymar Jr. – €180M (PSG)
Jude Bellingham – €180M (Real Madrid)
Raheem Sterling – €160M (Manchester City)
Mohamed Salah – €150M (Liverpool)
Harry Kane – €150M (Tottenham)
Kevin De Bruyne – €150M (Manchester City)
Eden Hazard – €150M (Chelsea)
Antoine Griezmann – €150M (Atlético Madrid)
Philippe Coutinho – €150M (Barcelona)
Sadio Mané – €150M (Liverpool)
Phil Foden – €150M (Manchester City)

These valuations highlight the evolving nature of the sport, with young stars rising to prominence while legends maintain their legacy.