With the 2026 FIFA World Cup in full swing, the CIES Football Observatory is proud to present a new tool, available free of charge, for analysing the characteristics of participating teams and players from the perspective of their technical performance.

For each outfield player fielded for at least 60 minutes, the tool provides an overall performance score out of 100, as well as scores across eight areas of play, based on match data exclusively produced by our partners at Impect, through which comparing players. Detailed explanations can be found in this note.

At team level, we present indices on a scale of 100 relating to teams’ propensity to press opponents, control the game or dominate offensively. The scores for each of these three aspects are constructed from nine indicators, making a total of 27, as explained in this document.

Further information on the outstanding work carried out by Impect is accessible here. We are also available to provide further details on the approach developed.

>>> Access the tool

The CIES Football Observatory’s research team is pleased to present the results of a survey conducted among our newsletter subscribers on the actions considered necessary in terms of the governance of men’s club soccer. In total, we received 1,424 responses.

For each question asked, we present the proportion of respondents who rated the urgency of taking further action in the relevant area as at least four on a scale of five. The percentages range from 84.9% of respondents calling for measures to combat money laundering through football to just 16.4% who consider it urgent to adopt new rules to deal with excessive goal celebrations.

More information is available upon request.

>>> Survey findings

>>> New Prospect Sheet with Impect : Ayyoub Bouaddi

The CIES Football Observatory is pleased to present a video analysing the relationship between the distance covered by players during a match and the ambient temperature. Data collected in partnership with SkillCorner from 35 leagues around the world indicates a significant decrease in the distance covered as temperatures rise.

On average, a player covers 10.1 km during 90 minutes of play if the temperature does not exceed 15°C ; this distance decreases by about one kilometre when the temperature rises to 30°C or higher.

Leagues located in the hottest regions are particularly affected by this heat stress, including the Pro League in the United Arab Emirates, the K League in South Korea, the Chinese Super League, La Liga in Spain, and the Brazilian Serie A. With the World Cup underway, MLS data also shows the negative impact of high temperatures on the distances covered.

>>> More about SkillCorner

>>> Full video

>>> New Prospect Sheet with Impect: Yan Diomandé

Based on the estimated transfer values* of the selected players, three national teams look like the main favourites to win the 2026 World Cup. England top the ranking with a total squad value of €1.454 billion. They are followed by France (€1.436 billion) and Spain (€1.407 billion). The values of all qualified teams are listed in the 550th Weekly Post of the CIES Football Observatory.

With inflation and a larger number of participating teams, the estimated total value of all squads in the competition reaches €18.1 billion. This is €3.1 billion more than at the 2022 World Cup. As noted last week, the statistical model of the CIES Football Observatory currently values only two players at more than €200 million : Spain’s Lamine Yamal and Norway’s Erling Haaland.

At the other end of the ranking, Iran is the qualified team with the lowest total transfer value, at only €12 million. It is followed by Iraq (€13 million) and Jordan (€15 million). However, strong performances in the competition could still help some players from these teams secure a transfer to much more competitive clubs.

* According to CIES Football Observatory’s statistical model

>>> Full data

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

The 539th Weekly Post presents the hundred U23 players not yet under contract with one of the ten most powerful clubs worldwide* with the top estimated transfer value according to the CIES Football Observatory’s statistical model. Juventus’s Turkish young star Kenan Yildiz is well ahead of the rest. His transfer could be worth up to €133 million (including add-ons and for 100% of transfer rights).

Inter Milan’s Italian Pio Esposito (€95 million) and RB Leipzig’s Ivorian Yan Diomandé (€84 million) round off the top three. The top five also includes Bayer Leverkusen’s Cameroonian Christian Kofane (€81 million) and Porto’s Danish midfielder Victor Froholdt (€80 million). All these players have contracts running until at least 2029, which strengthens the negotiating power of their respective clubs.

Twelve domestic competitions are represented in the top 100, with the English Premier League at the top (25 players), and the following top three: Paraguay’s Diégo Gómez (Brighton & Hove), Netherlands’ Xavi Simons (Tottenham) and France’s Junior Kroupi (Bournemouth). Behind Froholdt, the highest-rated players outside the big-5 are Vítor Roque (Palmeiras) and two other FC Porto’s footballers: Samu Aghehowa and Rodrigo Mora.

>>> Top 100

>>> Top valued player per club in 70 leagues

>>> New Prospect Sheet: Oskar Pietuszewski

* In alphabetical order : Arsenal, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Paris St-Germain and Real Madrid.

Dear subscriber and football passionate,

The CIES Football Observatory mission is to advance the frontiers of knowledge for the balanced development of football worldwide. With this in mind, we have drawn up a questionnaire to find out your views on a range of current issues relating to men’s professional club football.

Your responses will help us identify the measures you believe needed to ensure that football continues developing in a positive direction. 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

The 538th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the global ranking of clubs whose squad management is most focused on the long term, based on an index combining four indicators : the number of players used in league matches over the last three years (the lower the better), the average stay of current players in the first team squad, the average remaining contract length of those same players, and their average age at the time of signing (the lower the better)*.

Real Madrid recorded the highest score, reflecting a strategy of signing young players and retaining them over the long term. The Spanish side are ahead of Brentford, who can still dream of qualifying for the Champions League for the first time, and the Basque side Athletic Club, whose season has been rather disappointing so far but who remain well-equipped to quickly return to winning ways. Two teams from the MLS compete the top 5 : Seattle Sounders and Philadelphia Union.

Four other teams not belonging to the Europe’s big-5 feature in the top twenty : Shakhtar Donetsk, Club Brugge, AZ Alkmaar and FK Zenit. Sixty-first overall, Palmeiras is the top ranked South American club. For each indicator, the following clubs have the best values : Seattle Sounders (stay), SJK Seinäjoki (recruitment age), Chelsea FC (contract duration), as well as Dynamo Kyiv and Club Libertad (non-academy players use).

* For players used, we have considered the last three years for non-calendar year leagues, and the seasons from 2023 to 2025 for the others, not including players from the club academy. The latter were also excluded from the calculation of the average age at recruitment, as well as from that of the average stay for those under 22. For remaining contract length, we have assigned a duration of one year where information was missing and current season end for players on loan.

>>> Full data

The 537th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the 100 teams in the world with the highest aggregate transfer value of players owned, estimated according to our statistical model. Chelsea tops the ranking with a total of €1,732 million spread across 54 players, ahead of Manchester City (€1,608 million, 47 players) and Real Madrid (€1,541 million, 36 players).

Chelsea is also the team listed with the best distribution of values among players under contract, with the highest-valued footballer, Brazilian Estevão (€123 million), representing only 7.1% of the total. By way of comparison, this percentage is 25.3% for the fourth club with the highest aggregate value, Barcelona (€1,389 million, of which €352 million for Lamine Yamal).

The following clubs are ranked first in the other major regions or countries: Paris Saint-Germain for France (6th overall behind Arsenal with €1,346 million), Bayern Munich for Germany (€1,000 million), Inter for Italy (€820 million), Benfica for Portugal (€549 million), PSV Eindhoven for the Netherlands (€400 million), Bruges for Belgium (€347 million), as well as Palmeiras for both Brazil and non-European clubs (€322 million).

>>> Top 100

>>> Top valued player per club in 70 leagues

>>> New Prospect Sheet with Impect : Taras Mykhavko

The 536th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the players having scored or assisted the most goals in matches played over the last year in 67 leagues around the world. From a purely numerical perspective, without considering the level of the leagues where these contributions were made, Lionel Messi dominates the competition with 59 G+A (37 goals and 22 assists) : 17 more than any other player !

By weighting the G+A contributions according to the level of the matches in which they were made using this method, Lionel Messi remains in the lead with a score of 66.3*, slightly ahead of France’s Kylian Mbappé (41 contributions, including 37 goals, weighted score of 65.4) and two Bayern Munich players : England’s Harry Kane (42 ; 64.5) and another Frenchman, Michael Olise (37 contributions, including a record 22 assists ; 54.9).

With 18 goals and 11 assists in the Spanish Liga, Lamine Yamal (aged 18.6) is the youngest player in the top 100. Only one other footballer listed is under the age of 23 : Franculino Djú (21.7 years). At the other end of the scale are Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (41.1 years and 31 contributions), Lionel Messi (38.7 years) and Fernando Zampedri (38.0 years). In total, no fewer than 45 leagues are represented in the list.

* The weighting was calculated by multiplying the contributions by the ratio between the average sporting coefficient of the matches in which players made their goals or assists, and the average measured for the top 100 footballers.

>>> Full rankings

The 535th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post ranks teams from 56 leagues around the world according to the level of pressure exerted on opponents. This was calculated using the following Impect data: distance from own goal of presses applied, speed of interrupting opponent possessions, frequency of defensive actions with respect to passes conceded, and propensity to commit fouls in the final third when not in possession*.

Across Europe’s five major leagues, Italy’s Como 1907 tops the list, reflecting coach Cesc Fàbregas’s philosophy of constant pressure on opponents. Paris St-Germain (Luis Enrique) and Bayern Munich (Vincent Kompany) complete the podium of the big-5 league teams with the most proactive defensive styles. South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns head the rankings among non-European clubs.

The top pressure index among the 883 teams analysed was measured for Dutch side ADO Den Haag, current leaders of the Eerste Divisie, whose coach, German Robin Peter, also advocates an aggressive defensive style. At the opposite end of the spectrum, we find AC Milan at big-5 league level and Austria’s TSV Hartberg among all the teams studied (in both cases also with rather convincing results).

*The pressure index was calculated based on the standard deviation of these four indicators with respect to the club’s league average. The data for each indicator is also presented as a ratio with respect to league average.

>>> Full data

>>> New video: economic analysis of the transfer market (2016-2025)

>>> More about Impect

>>> Ball-friendiest teams analysis

The CIES Football Observatory is pleased to present the exclusive Gradient data on running speeds of players from teams still competing in the UEFA Champions League. The 534th Weekly Post displays the 20 fastest players (maximum speed in the competition) for five position categories, as well as the distribution of their distances per speed.

Uzbekistan’s Abdukodir Khusanov (Manchester City) is the centre back with the highest top speed (35.8 km/h), ahead of Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven. Among wide backs, PSG’s Achraf Hakimi (36.4 km/h) and Nuno Mendes top the list, as does Archie Gray (34.8 km/h) for central midfielders, Anthony Gordon (37.9 km/h) for side midfielders/wingers, and Kylian Mbappé for centre forwards (35.7 km/h).

In terms of the distribution per speed category, among the 100 players listed, three centre forwards covered the greatest proportion of distance at a speed of less than 7 km/h : Kylian Mbappé (43.5%), Victor Osimhen (41.9%), and Luis Suárez (40.1%). In contrast, the three players who covered the lowest percentage of distance walking are central midfielders : Häkon Evjen (23.0%), João Simões (24.1%) and Lucas Bergvall (25.2%).

>>> Full data

>>> More about Gradient Sports

>>> New Prospect Sheet with Impect: Kerim Alajbegovic

The 533rd CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post ranks teams worldwide according to the financial results of the transfer operations completed over the current season (last two windows) and over the last five years respectively (last ten windows). Regarding the two transfer periods related to the 2025/2026 season, the most negative balance was recorded for current Premier League leaders Arsenal (-€362 million).

While the Gunners’ financial efforts have so far paid off, those of the second team with the most negative balance sheet, Liverpool (-€244 million), have been much less successful. The same observation, at least in terms of domestic league results, can be made for the two teams with the most negative net spending over the last ten transfer windows : Chelsea (-€883 m) and Manchester United (-€859 m).

At the other end of the scale, the teams with the most positive balances are Monaco for the current season (+€148 million) and Benfica for the last five years (+€346 m). Over this period, the Portuguese club is ahead of LOSC Lille (+€273 m), AFC Ajax (+€270 m) and RB Salzburg (+€242 m). All the figures presented in the study include add-ons irrespective of their actual payment, as well as sell-ons.

>>> Full rankings