Most valuable XI in history: Players from 9 countries - Cristiano Ronaldo misses out

The historical XI of the most valuable players in the world according to market values on Transfermarkt in the last twenty years includes footballers from nine countries and seven clubs—five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has not made the cut. Players from five different seasons who had the highest market value at the time were nominated. 

The first player to reach a market value of €200m was Kylian Mbappé in the 2018/19 season. After a season-long loan, Paris Saint-Germain paid €180m to Monaco for the then 19-year-old—until today, the second most expensive transfer in history. In recent market value updates, Vinicius Junior from Real Madrid and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland also broke through the €200m benchmark. Jan Oblak and Mbappé are the only players who could never win the Champions League. 2018/19 was also the season in which Lionel Messi (€180m), Kevin De Bruyne (€150m) and Raphaël Varane (€80m) reached their highest market values.

All players in the XI reached their highest market value after the 2017/18 season, in which Neymar’s €222m from Barcelona to PSG brought in a new era on the transfer market and market values. In the goalkeeper position, the transfers of Kepa Arrizabalaga for €80m to Chelsea and Alisson for €62.5m to Liverpool in the summer of 2018 meant increased market values. In Atlético Madrid’s 2020/21 championship-winning season, Oblak was the only goalkeeper with a market value of €100m. In 38 league games, Oblak managed 18 clean sheets and only conceded 25 goals. 

Neymar introduces new era – Defender reaches €100m market value

Seven clubs from four leagues are included in the most valuable XI in history, the Serie A is the only top league missing. The Bundesliga is represented by Canadian Alphonso Davies, who saw his market value climb to €80m after his club, Bayern Munich, won the treble in 2020. As a result, he shares the status of the most valuable left-back in history with Liverpool’s Andrew Robertson and Man City’s Josko Gvardiol but makes the XI as he got to the relevant market value first. LaLiga and the Premier League have four players each, and Real Madrid, Manchester City as well as Liverpool have multiple players present. Liverpool players included are Trent Alexander-Arnold (€110m) and Virgil van Dijk (€100m), the only two defenders to reach the €100m benchmark. 

England and France are the only nations with two players. Record transfer Neymar, who reached a market value of €180m in 2017/18, compatriot Vinicius Junior and Cristiano Ronaldo are all absent from the most valuable XI in history. Ronaldo reached his highest market value of €120m in the 2014/15 season and then again in 2017/18. Ronaldo missed out on a higher market value as he was already 32 when the Neymar transfer was concluded.