Most Valuable Squads at the FIFA World Cup

The football season extends into June and July in 2026. With the domestic campaigns over and the European trophies handed out, focus turns to North America for the 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup.

The quadrennial celebration of the beautiful game is set to dominate the sporting discussion and will be the primary focus of attention for many punters assessing the best betting offers.

The question facing bettors is how best to assess a tournament played between nations that face one another only rarely and arrive with contrasting form lines. How can we determine which nation is most likely to raise the famous trophy aloft at MetLife Stadium on 19 July?

Form, Record, Rankings, or Value?

Qualifying form, historical records, and the FIFA World Rankings (FWR) are some of the factors which punters consider when attempting to forecast the tournament. However, an alternative, slightly cynical approach is to follow the “money talks” mantra. If the most valuable clubs regularly dominate the major European leagues, such as the Premier League, might the same hold true at the FIFA World Cup? But which are the most valuable squads set to take to the field in the USA, Canada, and Mexico? Here, using data taken from transfermarkt.co.uk, we present the five most valuable World Cup squads, with information on the nation’s best World Cup performance and FIFA World Ranking, as of 1 June 2026.

5. Germany

Estimated Squad Value: €998 million FIFA World Ranking: 10 Best World Cup Performance: Winners – 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014 The biggest outlier in the top 5 when judged by FIFA World Rankings, Germany boasts the fifth most valuable squad, but only just crack the FWR top 10. Florian Wirtz endured an up-and-down debut season at Liverpool but remains Germany’s most valuable player at an estimated €110 million, closely followed by the €100 million rated Jamal Musiala, who is thankfully back on the field following his horror injury in 2025.

4. Portugal

Estimated Squad Value: €1.02 billion FIFA World Ranking: 5 Best World Cup Performance: Third Place - 1966 PSG’s spectacular dual-Champions League-winning midfield combo tops Portugal’s list of MVPs, with both Vitinha and João Neves valued at an estimated €140 million. Also lining up at the Parc des Princes, all-action left-back Nuno Mendes comes next at an estimated €80 million. Arriving on the back of a stellar season, can that trio help propel Portugal to the World Cup Final in what surely will be Cristiano Ronaldo’s final appearance at the finals?

3. Spain

Estimated Squad Value: €1.26 billion FIFA World Ranking: 2 Best World Cup Performance: Winners - 2010 Sitting second in the FIFA World Rankings, 2010 champs Spain are among the pre-tournament favourites in 2026. Leading the way in the Spanish squad is teen sensation Lamine Yamal who, at an estimated €200 million, joins Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé as the most valuable players at the tournament.  Midfield maestro Pedri comes next at €150 million, followed by the €80 million duo of Martín Zubimendi and Pau Cubarsí. Making it no further than the Last 16 in 2018 and 2022, much better is expected of Spain this time around.

2. England

Estimated Squad Value: €1.31 billion FIFA World Ranking: 4 Best World Cup Performance: Winners - 1966 Sixty years after their only success in the tournament, could this be the year when all those years of hurt end for England? If squad value is any guide, there is every chance that Thomas Tuchel’s men could go close. Fully fit once again following shoulder surgery, Real Madrid’s dynamic goalscoring midfielder Jude Bellingham tops the Three Lions list at an estimated €140 million, followed by the Arsenal duo of Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, who are each valued at an estimated €120 million.

1. France

Estimated Squad Value: €1.53 billion FIFA World Ranking: 1 Best World Cup Performance: Winners – 1998, 2018 Nosing ahead at the top of the value rankings are another of the pre-tournament favourites, and the current number one side in the world according to the FWR. Closing in on 14 years in the hot seat, Didier Deschamps remains in charge of a squad blessed with €200 million-rated Kylian Mbappé, and fellow €100 million+ men Michael Olise, Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé. If €’s are the measure of success, Les Bleus may be the team to beat in 2026.