A new study has revealed which countries produce the most valuable footballers.
The online sportsbook Premier Bet analysed football player databases, collecting player value and nationality data for over 42,000 players.
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Mali produces the most valuable footballers
Mali has the highest-valued football players in Africa, with an average value of £1,241,674. Cheick Doucouré is the highest-valued Malian footballer, valued at £30,052,756.
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Côte d’Ivoire is close behind, with the average value of an Ivorian footballer being £1,099,919.
Morocco and The Democratic Republic of the Congo are third and fourth with average football player values of £1,040,858 and £890,393, respectively.
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Senegal places fifth on the African continent with an average player value of £859,378, while Ghana comes sixth on the continent with an average player value of £779,633.
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Cameroon ranks seventh out of the African nations, with an average player value of £760,377, while Algeria is eighth on the continent, with an average player value of £710,016, followed by Guinea which saw players have an average value of £685,185.
Angola rounds out the top ten nations with the most valuable average footballers within Africa, with an average value of £501,765.
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England tops global list
Worldwide, In first place is England. The average English player was found to be worth over £7 million. Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham were the most valuable English players, both valued at over £103 million.
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France takes the second spot on the list, with the average French player worth over £6.7 million (£6,746,700). Perhaps unsurprisingly, Kylian Mbappé is the most valuable French player, valued at over £154 million.
Third place belongs to Brazil, where the average Brazilian football player is valued at over £6.2 million (£6,295,028). Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior is the most valuable Brazilian footballer, currently valued at over £128 million.
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Back to Europe, Spain takes the fourth spot on the list. The average Spanish footballer is valued at over £5.5 million (£5,500,216). FC Barcelona midfielder Pedri is currently the highest-valued Spanish footballer, valued at over £85 million.
Fifth place goes to Argentina, where the average is over £3.8 million. Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martínez is the highest-valued Argentinian footballer, currently valued at over £73 million.
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The remainder of the top ten features Germany in at sixth place, where the average footballer is valued at £3,665,774. Seventh place goes to Portugal, where the average footballer is valued at £3,636,768.
Italy takes the eighth spot on the list, where the average footballer is valued at £3,442,752. Ninth place goes to Belgium, where the average footballer’s value is £1,956,659.
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Rounding off the list in tenth place is Uruguay, where the average value of a footballer is £1,682,934.
Least valuable footballers
Interestingly, Bangladesh takes the crown as the country with the least valuable footballers on average, with an average value of only £34,458. Thailand was found to have the oldest average age of footballers at 29 years old.
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Worldwide, the average footballer is 26 years of age and valued at £847,210.
A spokesperson for Premier Bet commented on the findings, saying:
“The research has yielded fascinating insights into the countries that have consistently produced some of the most valuable footballers in the world.
“The results demonstrate the incredible depth and quality of talent across various nations, showcasing the global nature of the sport and its ability to captivate fans worldwide. It is a testament to the passion, dedication, and nurturing of talent in these countries, as well as the ongoing commitment to developing the next generation of exceptional footballers.”
