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.

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 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 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 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.

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).

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).

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.

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.

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.

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).

Thanks to the data exclusively produced by our partner Impect, the 532nd CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the ball-friendliest teams in the world. The ranking was established according to four indicators : the proximity of passes (the shorter, the better), the pace of passing during possession, the duration of possessions and the percentage of balls received in the opponent’s third below knee height (on the ground).