France have richest 2026 World Cup squad; Portugal outranks Argentina in Transfermarkt valuation

Kylian Mbappé’s France have the most valuable squad among the 48 teams set to compete at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to Transfermarkt valuations reported by World Soccer Talk. The combined market value of France’s 26-player roster is reported at €1.52 billion (about $1.76 billion), placing them ahead of England, Spain and a Portugal side that ranks fourth — while tournament holders Argentina sit down in eighth.

Why it matters — market value and tournament expectations

Squad market value is not the same as on-field certainty, but it is a useful shorthand for depth, star power and the transfer-market worth of players likely to feature at a major tournament. A higher combined valuation can reflect multiple elite-level players who can change games, as well as a deeper pool of starters and high-value substitutes. France’s top billing underlines the way world-class individual valuations — notably Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Lamine Yamal, each listed among the world’s most valuable players — lift an entire national squad’s market figure.

What the Transfermarkt ranking shows

The Transfermarkt-based list published via World Soccer Talk ranks the top 10 most valuable World Cup squads as follows (values are reported in US dollars in the source): France ($1.766bn), England ($1.513bn), Spain ($1.452bn), Portugal ($1.174bn), Germany ($1.153bn), Brazil ($1.054bn), Netherlands ($967m), Argentina ($944m), Norway ($694m) and Belgium ($626m). The figures reflect the estimated combined market values of each nation’s 26-player rosters for the tournament.

Players lifting the rankings

France’s valuation gets a major boost from Kylian Mbappé; World Soccer Talk notes he is among three players currently valued at about $231 million alongside Erling Haaland and Lamine Yamal. France also have Michael Olise inside the reported top 10 of individual player valuations after a strong club season, with an estimated value cited at $173 million. Other French players named in the top 20 of individual values include Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembélé and William Saliba.

Portugal’s combined figure is reported at approximately €1.01 billion (about $1.17 billion). Joao Neves and Vitinha are both listed among the highest-valued Portuguese players at around $161 million each. Cristiano Ronaldo, despite his profile as a leading veteran, is given a substantially lower valuation in the Transfermarkt list cited — around $13.87 million — and is placed well outside the top individual valuations among the World Cup players.

Argentina’s lower valuation and what’s notable there

Despite entering the tournament as the defending champions, Argentina are reported eighth on the Transfermarkt list with a combined squad value of about €817 million (roughly $944 million). Lionel Messi is listed far lower in the overall individual rankings — the source states he is estimated at $17.3 million and placed 363rd among the 1,248 players in the tournament — while Enzo Fernández and Julián Álvarez are cited as Argentina’s most valuable players at around $104 million each.

Key points

The list provides a snapshot of perceived market value ahead of the tournament but does not predict match outcomes. Transfermarkt valuations change over time and can be affected by form, injuries and late squad changes; the figures used here come from the Transfermarkt-based compilation reported by World Soccer Talk.

What happens next: Transfermarkt updates valuations regularly and national teams will finalise and publish their 26-player rosters in the run-up to the tournament. Readers should check Transfermarkt and official federation announcements for the latest squad lists and any valuation revisions ahead of the World Cup draw and match schedule.