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In football, the term 'valuable' works with the transfer market, and to stay valuable means the players must be consistent in their performance.
Throughout the years, there have been situations in which a player would be the most valuable player for a particular season. However, the following season they end up being just a regular player. In other cases, there are some whose value tends to rise yearly which is mostly the case of young prodigies.
Others might depreciate in value due to age, for instance Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. They have been the face of football for almost two decades but are currently martyrs of this predicament.
A lot of such phenomenal players that have defined the sport due to their outstanding brilliance and mastery have come from South America. This includes legends such as Pele, the late Maradonna, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Messi etc.
Right away, let's check out the most valuable South American XI in the world right now.
Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker (Liverpool/ Brazil) - €60m
Alisson Becker is certainly one of the best goalkeepers in the world right now.
The Brazilian has been a gem for his club Liverpool since joining them from Roma in 2018. Since he was bought for €66m, the second most expensive fee for a goalkeeper behind Kepa Arrizabalaga, the Reds have enjoyed a lot of success.
In his debut season, he won the Premier League Golden Glove and the Champions League. The following season, he played an integral role as they won their first ever Premier League title, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Alisson is nicknamed "O Goleiro Gato," which translates to "the cat-like goalkeeper", by his country media because of his great reflexes. He has 55 clean sheets in 121 appearances in the Premier League so far.
Centre-back: Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain/ Brazil) - €75m
Marquinhos is regarded as one of the best center backs in the world. He is known for his pace, passing ability, technical skills and versatility to play as a right back and defensive midfielder.
Marquinhos joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2013 for a fee of €31.4m after playing 26 games for Roma. In his second season, he helped the team win their first domestic treble.
The center back played a monumental role in PSG's Champions League road to the final of the 2019-20 season. He scored in the quarter-finals and semi-finals against Atalanta and RB Leipzig respectively.
Marquinhos' individual brilliance earned him a spot back-to-back in the UEFA Champions League squad of the season (2019-2020) and (2020-2021).
Centre-back: Eder Militao (Real Madrid/ Brazil) - €60m
Eder Militao is a versatile player just like his compatriot Marquinhos. He is able to play as a defensive midfielder and right back which makes him one of the most valuable centre-backs in the world.
Militao became former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane's first signing after his brilliant showcase at Porto for around €50m.
But it was not until the departure of Zidane, Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane that the defender started being included as a first choice pick. He has become a regular under current Los Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti. Since the start of the season, there have been massive improvements in his game due to an increased number of play-time.
Militao is also known for his agility, good technique and swift recovery of the ball.
Left-back: Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid/ Brazil) - €20m
Renan Lodi is part of Atletico Madrid's La Liga winning team. He left Atletico Paranaense in the summer of 2019 for Atletico Madrid after 48 appearances in three years.
Lodi offers a lot of depth to Atletico's defensive line-up. He knows when to position before intercepting and quickly converts defense into attack.
He also knows how to keep possession when trying to stabilize play. Lodi also has a good cross percentage. So far, he has managed 72 games for Atletico Madrid.
Right-back: Emerson Royal (Tottenham Hotspur/ Brazil) - €25m
Emerson Royal was bought by Tottenham Hotspur from Barcelona last summer. This was right after he completed his loan spell at Real Betis having played just three games for the Catalan side.
Royal is quite a skilled right back. He can act as a wide defender used to counter fast wingers because he can cover ground quickly over short distances. He is also extremely good at passing the ball into the 18-yard box.
So far, he has played 16 Premier League matches.
Defensive midfielder: Carlos Casemiro (Real Madrid/ Brazil) - €60m
Carlos Casemiro is definitely one of the most underrated players in world football. With a total of 14 major trophies, he is one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.
The Brazilian joined Real Madrid in 2013, was loaned to Porto in 2014 and returned to Madrid in 2015. He was a key feature in Madrid's three-peat UCL winning squad.
Nicknamed "Destroyer" by the media, Casemiro is known for his raw energy, consistency, tactical awareness and mentality. He is also an aggressive and hard tackling midfielder which has led to a lot of criticism. But overall, his competitive nature and versatility makes him preeminent.
Defensive midfielder: Fabinho Tavares (Liverpool/ Brazil) - €60m
Fabinho Tavares, popularly referred to as Fabinho, is the epitome of a utility player. He occasionally plays as a centre-back or a right back.
Fabinho joined Liverpool from AS Monaco in 2018 for £39m. Despite being his debut season, Fabinho sent shock waves to the Premier League with his sensational interceptions and accurate passes. He was a major element in the team's Champions League victory.
The following season, he helped secure Liverpool's first Premier League title, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. He has also been key so far this season, chipping in with some goals along with his defensive solidity.
Central midfielder: Federico Valverde (Real Madrid/ Uruguay) - €65m
Federico Valverde joined Real Madrid in 2016 but was sent to the B team. The following season, he was loaned to Derpotivo de la Coruna.
In 2018, he returned to Madrid and made his first senior appearance in the Champions League against Viktoria Plzen.The Uruguayan won the FIFA Club World Cup, making 25 appearances without scoring a single goal.
In the 2019-2020 season when Madrid won the La Liga title, he made 33 appearances, scoring two goals. Valverde is known for his balance between attack and defense and well timed effective tackles.
Left-winger: Neymar jr ( Paris Saint Germain/ Brazil) - €90m
Neymar is regarded as one of the most skillful players of his generation. According to many, the Brazilian is ranked third behind Ronaldo and Messi as the best players in the world. Neymar holds the record for the most expensive transfer signing ever, with a huge sum of €222m from Barcelona to PSG in 2017.
During his time at Barcelona, he established himself as one of the most prolific wingers in the world. Neymar formed a partnership with Messi and Luis Suarez, dubbed 'MSN' which is seen as one of the greatest trios of all time. He left Barcelona for PSG in 2017 after winning a number of trophies including the Champions League
Although Neymar has been injury prone since his arrival at PSG, that has not stopped or diminished his ability. In his debut season, he won the Player of the Year award in Ligue 1.
The Brazilian played an integral role in PSG's domestic quadruple and journey to the UEFA Champions League final, their first in history in the 2019-2020 season.
Neymar has just played 10 Ligue 1 games due to injury, scoring thrice.
Right winger: Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid/ Brazil) - €100m
Vinicius Jr. is the rave of the moment at Real Madrid alongside his teammate Karim Benzema. It makes him one of the most valuable players in the world right now.
Vinicius had quite a terrible last season citing inconsistency. He managed to score just six goals in 49 appearances in all competitions. This is a big contrast from this season where he has registered 15 goals in 32 appearances in all competitions so far.
The Brazilian international will be hoping to continue his fine form so that Real Madrid can win the La Liga and the Champions League titles.
Centre forward: Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan/ Argentina) - €80m
Lautaro Martinez's top-notch pace and finishing ability makes him one of the best and most valuable centre-forward in the world at the moment.
Martinez joined Inter Milan for a fee of € 22.7m from Racing Club in 2018. Since then, he has played a monumental role in the squad, most notably in the 2020-2021 season. He contributed 17 goals in 38 appearances in the league that saw them win the Serie A title alongside Romelu Lukaku.
Nicknamed El Toro because of leadership traits, he is renowned for his good dribbling skills, defensive contribution and creativity. The Argentinian has scored 11 goals in 22 appearances in the league so far this season and will be hoping to better it.
