The CIES Football Observatory, renowned for its player performance indices, published its ranking of the world’s most valuable players on Wednesday. Lamine Yamal, the 18-year-old striker for FC Barcelona and Spain, tops the list by a wide margin. Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, has four players valued at over €100 million.
Credit: CIES Football Observatory
Désiré Doué (21-year-old midfielder/forward), João Neves (21-year-old midfielder), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (25-year-old striker), and Warren Zaïre-Emery (20-year-old midfielder) are no surprises in this ranking. They have had excellent seasons, and their contracts with PSG are still relatively long. The length of a player’s contract with their club always plays a role in such valuations.
This is logical, but it also distorts the idea of a ranking that truly reflects the players’ skill level. This isn’t the right comparison. And let’s not forget the difference in value between attackers and defenders. It’s hard not to place Willian Pacho (the 24-year-old PSG defender) among the world’s best today, but he’s not included here. Unsurprisingly, the squad is predominantly attacking.
This makes the inclusion of Neves and Zaïre-Emery, particularly impressive midfielders, all the more noteworthy. We should also mention another major strength of the Parisian squad: its youth. This team is built to last.
