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Most valuable World Cup squads
With the World Cup in Russia in full swing, the CIES Football Observatory have published their report on the estimated transfer value of each of the squads involved in this summer’s tournament. In this slideshow, we rank the 16 group-stage survivors by how much their players are worth.
16. Japan
Estimated squad value: €61,000,000
Star man estimated value: €7m
Japan weren’t expected to make the knockout stage of the World Cup in Russia, but collecting four points against Colombia, Senegal and Poland was enough to see them through. The Samurai Blue now have the quarter-finals in their sights, but their placing in this ranking shows how much of an achievement it would be for the Asian nation to qualify for the last eight. Marseille full-back Hiroki Sakai is valued the highest at €7m, which accounts for 12% of his country's total.
15. Russia
Estimated squad value: €132,000,000
Estimated star man value: €21m
Hosts Russia were roundly considered to be one of the weakest teams in the competition, with little chance of making the knockout rounds regardless of the fact they were drawn in the kindest group of the first round. Yet here they are in the quarter-finals, having beaten Spain - whose squad is worth over €800m - on penalties in the round of 16.
Their creativity – or rather their lack of it – was highlighted as their greatest weakness pre-tournament, with their lack of a goalscorer also a considerable issue. But hammering a hapless Saudi Arabia side in the opener set them up for another impressive victory against Egypt; defeat to Uruguay deflated the balloon, but that victory over Spain has sent the country loopy once again.
14. Sweden
Estimated squad value: €152,000,000
Star man estimated value €55m
Sweden beat Mexico 3-0 in their final group game to qualify for the knockout phase as Group F winners. That was a fantastic achievement given their squad is deemed to be worth less than both El Tri's and Germany's, who remarkably finished bottom of the segment. The Swedes face Switzerland in the last 16, the second-most evenly matched tie of the first knockout round according to the respective teams' squad value.
13. Mexico
Estimated squad value: €153,000,000
Star man estimated value: €36m
Hirving Lozano scored the only goal of the game against reigning world champions Germany to give Mexico the perfect start to the group stage, with their subsequent victory over South Korea enough for El Tri to reach the last 16. Valued at €36m pre-tournament, PSV wide man Lozano accounts for almost a quarter of Mexico's overall squad value of €153m.
12. Switzerland
Estimated squad value: €246,000,000
Star man estimated value: €67m
Switzerland haven’t gone beyond the round of 16 since they hosted the World Cup way back in 1954, but the current crop of players will be quietly confident of their chances of reaching the quarter-finals having drawn Sweden in the first knockout round. With many members of the Swiss' golden generation now the wrong side of 30 - which is reflected in their low ranking here - this could be their last chance to make a telling impact on the world stage.
11. Colombia
Estimated squad value: €279,000,000
Star man value: €91m
England’s opponents in the round of 16 ground out a victory over Senegal in their last group game to qualify for the knockout stage, but lost one of their most influential players - playmaker James Rodriguez - to injury in the process. Somewhat surprisingly, the Real Madrid man isn't los Cafeteros' highest valued player, with Tottenham's Davinson Sanchez considered to be worth €91m - almost a third of the squad's overall total.
10. Denmark
Estimated squad value: €342,000,000
Star man estimated value: €106m
Denmark are as reliant on key creator Christian Eriksen as much as any other team in the competition depends on their star man, and it's no surprise to learn the Tottenham schemer is by far the highest valued player in his country's squad. The Danes performed well in their last-16 clash with Croatia but were beaten 3-2 on penalties, with Eriksen one of three players who failed to convert.
9. Croatia
Estimated squad value: €416,000,000
Star man estimated value: €68m
According to the CIES Football Observatory, Croatia have the ninth most valuable squad of those sides who qualified for the last 16. A team featuring the talents of Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Ivan Perisic impressed in the group stage, before the Vatreni were forced to show their grit and resilience in beating Denmark on penalties in the round of 16. With a squad valued at just over €400m, Croatia are still outsiders to win the competition.
8. Uruguay
Estimated squad value: €529,000,000
Star man estimated value: €120m
Uruguay continue to produce world-class footballers despite having a population of just over three million, and the two-time world champions will be eyeing a third title after dispatching of Portugal in the round of 16. Star men Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani are the two most valuable players in Oscar Washington Tabarez's squad, which ranks in the middle of all those who qualified for the knockout phase.
7. Portugal
Estimated squad value: €656,000,000
Star man estimated value: €103m
Star man Cristiano Ronaldo is valued at just over €100m by the CIES Football Observatory, but his performances in the group stage were priceless for Portugal. His one-man show against Spain saved the Selecao from defeat by their Iberian neighbours, but he was unable to prevent Fernando Santos' side going down 2-1 to Uruguay - whose squad is valued at €127m less than Portugal's - in the round of 16.
6. Belgium
Estimated squad value: €835,000,000
Estimated star man value: €167m
Belgium were one of only three sides to come through the group stage with a 100% record after beating Panama, Tunisia and England to take top spot in Group G. The Red Devils now find themselves in the same half of the draw as France, Uruguay and Brazil, but such a star-studded squad will fancy its chances against any of the trio. Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard and Dries Mertens are all worth plenty, but it's Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne who's valued the highest at a cool €167m.
5. Argentina
Estimated squad value: €925,000,000
Star man estimated value: €184m
Argentina haven't done things quietly at the 2018 World Cup, going from crisis to ecstasy in the group stage before bowing out with a 4-3 loss to France in the round of 16 last weekend. Few anticipated the two-time world champions adding a third star to their jerseys this summer, but perhaps we should have expected more from a squad valued at almost €1bn - more than all but four of the nations who qualified for the 21st edition of the finals.
4. Spain
Estimated squad value: €965,000,000
Estimated star man value: €101m
Spain won the World Cup in 2010 but failed to make it out of the group four years later, finishing third in their section behind Chile and the Netherlands. They did at least make the round of 16 this time around, but their run ended there as Russia upset the odds to beat La Roja on penalties, which came as a real shock given that Spain's squad is worth almost €1bn. Surprisingly, Saul Niguez is No.1 in the squad with a value of €101m.
3. Brazil
Estimated squad value: €1,269,000,000
Estimated star man value: €196m
Brazil were humiliated on home soil four years ago when eventual champions Germany hammered them 7-1 in the semi-finals, but they are determined to make amends this summer. Manager Tite has set the Selecao back on the right path with his coaching methods, but the Brazilians are also benefiting from a talented squad of players which is deemed to be worth almost €1.3bn. Neymar, as you would expect, is valued the highest at almost €200m.
2. England
Estimated squad value: €1,386,000,000
Estimated star man value: €201m
With star man Harry Kane in sensational goal-scoring form and a favourable draw ahead of them, there is genuine hope that England can go far in Russia this summer. The squad chosen by Gareth Southgate is a youthful one, with many key players having not yet reached their peak - which helps explain why the group is valued so highly. Only one of the 31 other teams who have competed in the 21st edition of the World Cup has a squad worth more than the Three Lions'.
1. France
Estimated squad value: €1,410,000,000
Estimated star man value: €187m
France seem to inspire the same debate ahead of every major tournament: are Les Bleus an excellent team or merely a group of outstanding individuals? Their 4-3 victory over Argentina in the last 16 was a major boost for Didier Deschamps' side, although there are still some who believe this team amounts to less than the sum of its parts. Either way, there's no denying the talent at France's disposal, with their 23-man squad valued at a whopping €1.4bn by the CIES Football Observatory.
