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They say that you get what you pay for. Although it is not a universal rule, the world of football usually abides by it. The better the players perform and the longer their contracts run, the higher their valuation generally is. Based on their valuation, clubs can prepare their checkbooks and understand if they have the financial muscle to go after the big guns.
One of the leading evaluators in the business, Transfermarkt, has a tried-and-tested evaluation system that tells us who the most desirable players are. It also gives us historic data about the players, revealing the time in which they were at their most valuable.
Today, we will not only focus on the most valuable players in the world but also on the time they reached their career-high valuations.
Here are the top five players with the highest recorded valuations of all time:
#5 Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) - €150 million (2021-22)
Erling Haaland is the youngest and least decorated player on our list, but he certainly knows how to make headlines.
He has been tearing up the netting since joining Borussia Dortmund from RB Leipzig for €20 million in January 2020. He has scored 85 goals in only 88 appearances across competitions for the German outfit.
Although not exactly known for his playmaking skills, Haaland has also provided 24 assists at Dortmund.
The player, who reached his career-high €150 million valuation this season itself, is reportedly (via Fabrizio Romano) on his way to Manchester City.
The English champions are set to activate his release clause imminently to finalize his transfer to the Etihad Stadium. The Norwegian is set to sign a five-year contract with the Citizens.
#4 Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) - €160million (2019-20)
Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling has lost his place in the team this season. He has looked like a shadow of his brilliant self, struggling to play his best game in every important competition.
Going by his current state, it is difficult to fathom that he became the highest-valued Englishman (€160 million) in history only a couple of seasons back.
In the 2019-20 campaign, Sterling was at the top of his game. Defenders could not keep up with him, he scored goals for fun, and his creativity was for everyone to see.
That season, the England international scored a whopping 31 goals and provided 10 assists in 52 games across competitions. The former Liverpool man’s exploits helped Manchester City win the FA Community Shield and the League Cup.
Unluckily for him, his teammate Kevin De Bruyne also enjoyed an excellent season and eventually won the 'Premier League Player of the Year' award.
#3 Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - €180million (2017-18)
Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi needs no introduction. He ruled Barcelona and Spain for over a decade, shattering every conceivable record.
Funnily, his highest market valuation did not come in 2009 or 2015 when his exploits led Barcelona to the treble. The €180 million valuation came in the 2017-18 season when he fired Barca to a domestic double.
Having recorded 54 goals and 20 assists in the 2016-17 season, Messi went into the next campaign full of confidence. He did not have Neymar by his side anymore, but his output in front of goal did not take a nosedive.
Messi’s excellent link-up play, playmaking, and goalscoring skills allowed Barcelona to beat Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in the league title race. The Argentine also performed admirably in the Copa del Rey, recording eight goal-contributions in six matches.
In total, Messi had 45 goals and 20 assists in 54 games across competitions that season, allowing him to attain a career-high valuation of €180 million.
#2 Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain) - €180million (2017-18)
Whether Kylian Mbappe has justified his record-breaking €222 million switch to Paris Saint-Germain from Monaco is still up for debate. However, given the way he performed in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, PSG were not ludicrous to trigger his release clause.
In 2016-17, Neymar was at the top of his game at Barcelona. He weaved his way past opposition players, created numerous chances, and scored a bucket load of goals.
The Brazilian was also the main protagonist behind Barcelona’s stunning comeback win over PSG in the Champions League Round of 16. He scored twice and provided as many assists in a monumental 6-1 second-leg victory.
Neymar moved to PSG at the end of the 2017-18 campaign but ended up missing many matches due to injuries. Injuries aside, it was another stunning campaign for the Brazil international. He scored 28 goals and provided 16 assists in only 30 matches and saw his valuation reach €180 million the same season.
#1 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) — €200million (2018-19)
Very few footballers in the world have had the privilege of lifting the World Cup. Even fewer have managed to win as teenage debutants. Only a handful of debutants have bagged the big prize while playing a key role. Kylian Mbappe checked all the aforementioned boxes in 2018 when he fired his country to glory.
He scored four goals in his first World Cup campaign, including one in a 4-2 win over Croatia in the final. Mbappe’s exploits helped him win the 'FIFA World Cup Best Young Player' award and made him his country’s best player in 2018.
The Frenchman also fired Paris Saint-Germain to Ligue 1 glory in the 2018-19 campaign, scoring 33 goals and providing nine assists in 29 matches.
The 23-year-old’s blistering campaign pushed his valuation to €200 million that season, making him the first player to breach the €200 million-mark.
