The 549th Weekly Post presents the 100 players in the world with the highest estimated transfer value, as calculated from the CIES Football Observatory’s statistical model. FC Barcelona’s young Spanish prodigy, Lamine Yamal, crushes the competition with a valuation of €358 million. Ahead of Manchester City’s Norwegian striker Erling Haaland (€227 million).

No other player is valued at over €200 million, with Kylian Mbappé in third place (€166 million). The following players are at the top of the list for the other positions : Gianluigi Donnarumma (goalkeepers), Pau Cubarsí (centre backs), Nico O’Reilly (wide backs), Pedri González (central midfielders) and Arda Güler (attacking midfielders).

Compared with last January, the largest increase was recorded for Yan Diomandé (+€75 million to €119 million), whilst the largest decrease was for Alexander Isak (-€54 million to €41 million). Compared with June’s 2025 ranking, the largest changes were registered again for Yan Diomandé on the positive side (+€116 million) and Jude Bellingham on the negative one (-€113 million).

>>> Top 100

Top valued player per club in 7⃣0⃣ leagues 👉 https://football-observatory.com/Tool-Value

New Prospect Sheet with Impect: Lucas Herrington

The 548th Weekly Post from the CIES Football Observatory ranks clubs worldwide according to their number of followers on the main social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X). Two clubs stand out: Real Madrid (488 million followers) and Barcelona (442 million). England’s Manchester United complete the top three (239 million), ahead of Paris Saint-Germain (208 million).

Among teams ranked in the top 10 positions, German side Bayern Munich recorded the strongest growth over the past year both in absolute (+16.1 million followers) and relative terms (+11%). Clubs in the top 10 have a combined total of 2.36 billion followers, up 3.8% on last year, broken down as follows among the platforms selected: Instagram (31%), Facebook (31%), TikTok (17%), X (16%) and YouTube (5%).

Twenty-six countries from every continent except Oceania are represented in the top 100, with the highest number of clubs located in the following three nations: Spain (21 teams, often with a large following on TikTok), England (16) and Brazil (11). Outside Europe, the top three are Brazil’s Flamengo (€71.6 million), Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr FC (€66.0 million) and Egypt’s Al-Ahly SC (€60.1 million).

>>> Top 100

The 547th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the Team of the Season (4-2-1-3) for 34 leagues reaching their conclusion. The selection was made by taking into account players’ performances (eight game areas for outfield players and the difference between goals expected goals and conceded for goalkeepers ; Impect data), the results of matches in which players’ participated, and playing time.

At big-5 league level, the following goalkeepers are part of the Best XIs : David Raya (Arsenal), Joan García (Barcelona), Hervé Koffi (Angers), Alexander Nübel (Stuttgart), and Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta). At the forefront of the attack are the top scorers : Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Estéban Lepaul (Stade Rennais), Harry Kane (Bayern), and Lautaro Martínez (Inter).

The CIES Football Observatory Team of the Season in the Premier League is made up of five Arsenal players (Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and Rice), three from Manchester City (Cherki, Haaland and Doku), two from Manchester United (Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes), as well as Adrien Truffert from Bournemouth. More information about the method used is available here.

>>> All Best XIs

>>> New Prospect Sheet with Impect: Pedro Zarza

The 546th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the 50 nations worldwide with the highest number of expatriates* currently playing in 135 professional leagues across the globe. As last year, Brazil remains the leading exporter (1,455 players abroad, +37), but is being hotly pursued by France (1,275, +86), with reigning world champions Argentina in third place (1,016, +27).

Since 2021, the largest increase in absolute terms has been recorded for France (+332 expatriates), with a steady rise (+35% in five years). In relative terms, the sharpest growth among the top 10 exporting nations was observed for Portugal (+198 players abroad, +66%), Spain (+255, +60%) and Nigeria (+211, also +60%).

Only 9 of the top 50 exporting countries have seen a decline in the number of their nationals abroad since 2021, reflecting the general increase in international migration flows. The sharpest decline was recorded for Serbia (-53 expatriates, -12%). To find out the main foreign destinations for each country of origin, please consult our Migration Atlas.

* Origin is defined as the association where the player grew up and which he left following recruitment by a foreign club.

>>> Full data

>>> Video analysis of the evolution of origins in Europe’s big-5 over the past 20 years

The 545th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post shows that 65.2% of teams across 55 leagues worldwide have changed their head coach at least once over the past year. This proportion is close to that recorded on the same date last year (see here). This finding reflects chronic instability in most clubs.

By league, the figures range from 100% of clubs having changed their manager over the past 365 days in the Cyprus top division (14 out of 14) to just 18.8% in Norway’s top tier (3 clubs out of 16). These disparities reflect the existence of considerable differences in the way clubs are managed, which are also visible at player level in terms of squad stability (see our Demographic Atlas).

The Post also presents data on the age of coaches (in this case, excluding those currently serving in an interim capacity). The overall average is 49.5 years, with the highest average age in Bulgaria (55.6 years ; no coach under the age of 40) and the lowest in Sweden (43.5 years). With respect to age too, the geographical differences are striking.

>>> Full study

>>> New Prospect Sheet with Impect : Thomas Jörgensen

Dear subscribers,

Many of you have already taken part in our survey to share your views on various topics relating to men’s professional football. Thank you very much!

However, we would still like to expand the sample of respondents. That is why we are writing to you one last time to invite those who have not yet taken part to do so.

The results of the survey, which is completely anonymous, will be published ahead of the next World Cup. Please take three minutes at most to complete this questionnaire, thank you!

>>> TAKE PART

The CIES Football Observatory team

The 544th Weekly Post lists the 100 goalkeepers who did not yet turn 23 with the highest estimated transfer value, as calculated using the CIES Football Observatory statistical model. Topping the list with a value of €47 million is Mike Penders, the Belgian goalkeeper on loan from Chelsea to RC Strasbourg.

Two other big-5 league goalkeepers round off the top three : Jonas Urbig of Bayern Munich (€41 million) and Robin Risser of RC Lens (€35 million). In fourth place, AZ Alkmaar’s Dutchman Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro (€19m) is the highest-ranked player outside the big-5, whilst Chris Brady (Chicago Fire) outranks Jordan García (Club León) among U23 goalkeepers outside Europe.

Five underage goalkeepers feature in the top 100 : Dan Lauri (TPS Turku), Savo Radanović (Crvena Zvezda), Deniz Dönmezer (Kayserispor), Einar Fauskanger (FK Haugesund) and Lucca Brughmans (KRC Genk). The Post also presents the goalkeepers’ experience capital over the past year, a metric combining the number of minutes played in official senior matches, the games’ sporting level and results, according to this method.

>>> Top 100

>>> Top valued player per club in 70 leagues

>>> New video analysis Global mapping of big-5 league players (2005-2025)

The 543rd CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the world’s most powerful football agencies. The ranking is based on the aggregate transfer value of the players represented by the companies or for whom the latter hold transfer negotiation rights, according to publicly available information*.

At the top of the list is an agency formed from the merger of several entities : CAA Stellar / Base. This US-controlled group represents the interests of no fewer than 84 players whose transfer value, according to the CIES Football Observatory’s statistical model, exceeds €10 million, amounting to a total of €2.56 billion (up 14.5% on last year).

Gestifute (€1.86 billion, +12.6%) and The.Team (formerly Wasserman, €1.27 billion, -4.1%) round off the top three most influential agencies. Other international firms resulting from mergers rank from fourth to eighth place, whilst two entities linked to individuals also feature in the top 10 : Bertolucci Assessoria (Giuliano Bertolucci) and MS Foot (Moussa Sissoko).

* The analysis covers the 1,300 players worldwide whose transfer value currently exceeds €10 million, according to the CIES Football Observatory’s statistical model.

>>> Full data

>>> New Prospect Sheet: Tarik Muharemovic

The 542nd CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the U23 outfield players currently active in 67 leagues worldwide who have performed best over the last six months. The rankings have been compiled based on players’ performances across eight game areas (Impect data), the sporting level of matches played, results and playing time*.

The following footballers top the table in their respective position: Pau Cubarsí (centre backs), Warren Zaïre-Emery (wide backs), Aleksandar Pavlović (central midfielders), Kenan Yildiz (attacking midfielders), Lamine Yamal (wingers) and Vítor Roque (centre forwards). The three youngest players in the top 100 are Lennart Karl, Konstantinos Karetsas and Kerim Alajbegović.

The highest scores for players outside Europe’s big-5 were recorded for Mika Godts (Ajax), Andreas Schjelderup (Benfica) and Carlos Forbs (Bruges). The top three in South America are Vítor Roque (Palmeiras), Lautaro Di Lollo and Milton Delgado (both Boca Juniors). Armando González (Chivas) tops the table for North and Central America, and Musab Al-Juwayr (Al-Qadsiah) for Asia.

>>> Method

>>> Full data (top 20s per league)

>>> More about Impect

The 541st CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post highlights the clubs currently competing in 50 top divisions worldwide where footballers who had not yet turned 21 have played the highest percentage of minutes in domestic league matches over the last five years. Denmark’s FC Nordsjælland top the list with no less than 44.7% of minutes by U21s.

The Slovakian side MŠK Žilina (35.3%) and the Austrian side RB Salzburg (35.0%) complete the podium. The top three clubs outside Europe are Uruguay’s SC Defensor (25.4%), Colombia’s Fortaleza CEIF (24.1%) and Venezuela’s Caracas FC (21.5%). Among current big-5 league clubs, Barcelona (20.7%) leads the way ahead of Strasbourg (18.6%) and Sunderland (18.5%).

Across all 50 leagues studied, Nordsjælland is also the club that fielded the highest number of players who had not yet turned 21 at the time of at least one match played (63). The Danish club is ahead of the Dutch side Volendam (60). At the other end of the scale, in the bottom two places, are the Italians of Napoli (2) and the Chinese side Tianjin Jinmen (3).

>>> Full data analysis

>>> New Prospect Sheet with Impect: Nathan de Cat

The 540th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the 100 clubs worldwide that have earned the most from the transfer of players from their youth academies* over the last ten years. The top three are Portugal’s SL Benfica (€589 million), Netherlands’ AFC Ajax (€454 million) and England’s Chelsea FC (€442 million).

The top 10 also includes two clubs from France’s Ligue 1 (Olympique Lyonnais and Monaco), another Portuguese club (Sporting CP), another English one (Manchester City), as well as teams from Spain (Real Madrid), Brazil (SE Palmeiras) and Germany (Bayer Leverkusen). In total, 19 associations are represented by at least one club in the top 100.

The Post also sets out the revenue generated over the last five years alone, with Chelsea FC (€366 million) topping the list, ahead of Manchester City (€318 million). This result reflects the growing emphasis on youth development also within the elite tier of English clubs, both in terms of developing players for the first team and reaping financial rewards.

* Training clubs are defined as the first ones where players spent at least three seasons between the ages of 15 and 21. The figures shown include add-ons regardless of effective payment and sums earned from sell-ons.

>>> Full data

Dear subscribers,

A big thank you to everyone who has already completed our online questionnaire on men’s professional football !

We are sending this message to remind those who have not yet responded, in order to maximise the sample size of respondents. Thank you for helping us to better understand the measures you believe are necessary to improve football.

The results of the survey, which is completely anonymous, will be published in the form of a freely accessible report, ahead of the next World Cup. We will of course keep you informed. Please take three minutes at most to complete this questionnaire, and long live football !

>>> TAKE PART

The CIES Football Observatory team