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Football in the modern era has come very far from what it used to be at its origin. Over the centuries, the beautiful game has gone through a countless number of changes, and one aspect of the game that has exponentially risen over the past decades is the value of a footballer.
We have seen the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Paul Pogba and Neymar being snapped up by clubs for astronomical values.
The International centre of sports studies (CIES) is an independent study center located in Neuchatel, Switzerland. It was created in 1955 as a joint venture between FIFA, the University of Neuchatel, the City and the State of Neuchatel. Every month the CIES football observatory updates the valuation of players from the top five leagues using its exclusive algorithm.
In their latest edition, there has been a significant change in the top of the list. So let's take a look at the 5 most valuable forwards in the world right now.
Before we start, some of the honorable mentions are Raheem Sterling, Romelu Lukaku, Antoine Griezmann and Paulo Dybala.
To check out the full CIES report, click here.
#5 Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Value: €170.6m (£149.3m)
Lionel Messi is arguably the best player ever to have embraced the game. In the year 2000, a young 13-year-old Messi moved to La Masia. After spending four years in Barcelona's academy, he burst into the senior team - and the rest is history.
The list of his achievements is endless, so I'll just point out a few. The Argentine has won numerous La Liga titles, Spanish Cups, Champions League Cups and five Ballon d'Or trophies.
While speaking about Messi, Arsene Wenger once said:
Messi is the best player in the world by some distance. He's like a PlayStation. He can take advantage of every mistake we make.
Pep Guardiola has been quoted as saying:
I feel sorry for those who want to compete for Messi's throne – it's impossible, this kid is unique.
Fabio Capello also shared his thoughts about the Argentine:
In my entire life I have never seen a player of such quality and personality at such a young age, particularly wearing the 'heavy' shirt of one of the world's great clubs.
The CIES values Messi at €170.6m. The only reason he is not on top of the list is because of his age, which is a factor in the algorithm used by CIES. Valuation apart, the only way you can describe Leo in a word is - 'priceless'.
#4 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Value: €173m (£151.4m)
In 2010, Salah made his senior team debut in the Egyptian Premier League. Fast forward eight years and he is one of the best forwards in the business.
Salah burst on to the scene while he was playing for Basel. Chelsea scouted him and brought him to Stamford Bridge, but the Egyptian's stay at the bridge wasn't a happy one. He failed to mark his presence under the then Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, and was soon loaned out.
A couple of loan moves and a brief stint with Roma later, he earned the move to Liverpool where he became the footballing mega-star that he is today.
Since his arrival at the Anfield, the Egyptian has netted 51 times in 64 appearances for the Reds in all competitions. Liverpool snapped up the Egyptian for a measly €42m from Roma, which is dwarfed by his current value of €173m.
With his goal-scoring instincts and blistering pace, the Egyptian has become one of the fan favorites at Anfield.
#3 Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain)
Value: €197m (£172.4m)
The Brazilian forward is the current most expensive player in the world.
Neymar made his first senior club appearance for Santos while he was only 17 years old. He took the Brazilian league by storm and became an internet sensation overnight.
Barcelona soon came calling, and Neymar made a switch to Camp Nou. There, he formed one of the deadliest attacking trio the game has ever witnessed with Messi and Luis Suarez. But when PSG came knocking with a world record transfer fee, it was hard to turn them down.
Neymar has scored 28 goals for Les Parisiens in 30 appearances, which is very impressive. However, the lack of quality in Ligue 1 has seen his value dropped by the CIES, who currently value him at €197m.
That still makes him the third most valuable player in the world right now. And with all the rumors of him moving back to Barcelona, who knows, a new world record transfer for the Brazilian might be just around the corner.
#2 Harry Kane (Tottenham)
Value: €197.3m (£172.7m)
Kane has been the brightest gem of a rejuvenated Spurs side under manager Mauricio Pochettino. In his early days Kane played as a holding midfielder, but then moved to an attacking mid position and finally occupied the position where he currently belongs.
Ever since he broke into the senior team, the Englishman hasn't stopped scoring. Since 2014, Kane has never scored less than 20 goals in a season in the Premier League; he has turned himself into one of the league's best ever. He has also proved his worth at the international level by becoming the top scorer in the 2018 World cup.
The 2018-19 season hasn't started well for the Englishman. Until last month he was the most valuable player in the world, but he is one of the two players on this list that have seen a decline in their values.
This has resulted in Kane dropping down to the second spot. The CIES evaluates the Lilywhites striker at €197.3m. That's still pretty impressive though.
#1 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
Value: €216.5m (£189.5m)
Here he is, in the pole position, the most valuable player in the world right now. Kylian Mbappe! Mbappe has won two French Championships, one French Cup, one French League Cup and the most precious of them all, the World Cup.
In 2017 he was named the best youngster in football and was included in the 2018 FIFPro World XI. Did I mention that he is only 19 years old? It's hard to digest that someone as young as him has achieved so much already.
Seen as a future Ballon d'Or winner by many, the youngster has scored 44 goals for PSG in just 35 appearances. Since the beginning of the 2018-19 season, the Frenchman has been in a red-hot form, which has helped him overtake Harry Kane in this list.
The CIES values the teenager at a mammoth €216.5m, which not only makes him the most valuable forward but also the most valuable footballer on the planet!
