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Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal has been named as the most valuable player on the planet in the 2026 CIES’ Football Observatory top 100 list. Barca’s young forward has seen his stock continue to grow in the last 12 months, earning second place in the Ballon d’Or rankings, behind Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele. Bizarrely, however, the latest winner of the prestigious award has not been included in the top 100.
Yamal crowned most expensive player
Yamal has had a busy year. After winning La Liga with Barcelona, the Spaniard has accelerated his development even further under Hansi Flick, becoming the Blaugrana’s talisman and MVP on and off the pitch. He has even started his own YouTube channel, which has amassed over one million subscribers in just a few days. After emerging the famed La Masia academy, the Barca hierarchy have a permanently smug look etched onto their faces after tracking Yamal’s success. The CIES Football Observatory have valued the 18-year-old at a staggering €343 million (£297m). He surges ahead of both Erling Haaland (£221m) and Kylian Mbappe (£174m).
Dembele snubbed in shock ranking
The only man to be voted as a better footballer than Yamal – PSG’s Dembele – has surprisingly been left out of the top 100. Despite earning the biggest individual accolade in the sport, the 28-year-old does not beat out 99th-placed Alessandro Bastoni of Inter Milan, who has a value of €62m (£53m). The Frenchman capped off a fantastic 2025 by being handed FIFA’s ‘The Best’ award, to go alongside his Ballon d’Or, Champions League, Ligue 1, French Cup and French Super Cup trophies. The news comes at a moment when many are questioning Dembele’s future at PSG, with the World Cup winner making just 15 appearances in all competitions this term, and struggling to stay fit – with injuries plaguing much of his career across Europe. Reports have even go so far to suggest that he may opt to leave the capital in the summer, with Arsenal a potential suitor in the Premier League.
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CIES Football Observatory top 10 most valued players revealed
Beyond Bayern Munich’s Olise in fifth, the Football Observatory list ranks Florian Wirtz, Dembele’s team-mates Desire Doue and Joao Neves, Arda Guler and Pedri in the top 10. The youngest player to feature on the list is Real Madrid’s Franco Mastantuono at 18 years and three months old, and the oldest is 29-year-old Raphinha. This suggests that age is not the only factor ruling Dembele out of the top 100, but his injury history and lack of form. Perhaps the 27-year-old has peaked after claiming the Ballon d’Or.
Yamal to match Ronaldo & Messi’s legacy?
In Yamal’s case, though, the only way is up for the youngster. He is on track to lead Barcelona to another Spanish title this season, but will have his eye on both European and individual honours. The winger has already been compared to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on more than one occasion, but insists that he wants to forge his own path as a great.
Speaking in a recent interview, he said: “I respect him for what he has been and what he is for football. To me, he’s the best in history. But neither do I want to be Messi, nor does Messi want me to be him. My football is about fun. I play so people can enjoy watching. It’s not about a million records or a million goals.”
He said the same thing about Ronaldo, adding: “It’s best not to compare yourself to anyone. Players like Cristiano Ronaldo did what they did because they wanted to be themselves and not compare themselves to others. I want to build my own path.”
Either way, Yamal, has a long way to go before he can rank himself alongside either of the sport’s greats. However, so far so good for football’s brightest talent.
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