Lamine Yamal, the golden touch of a record-valued 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

At 18, Barcelona and Spain winger Lamine Yamal is the standout name as the World Cup begins on Thursday across the United States, Mexico and Canada. According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, CIES values him at 358 million euros, placing him well clear of Erling Haaland on 227 million.

CIES also ranks national squads by combined market value, with England top on 1,454 million euros, ahead of France on 1,436 and Spain on 1,407. Jordan, Iraq and Iran sit lowest on 15, 13 and 12 million respectively.

In total, the tournament’s player pool is valued at 18,100 million euros, up 3,100 million on 2022, a rise influenced by expansion from 32 to 48 teams.

Yamal watched Qatar 2022 on television, then debuted for Barcelona a year later at 15 years and 9 months.

A hamstring injury curtailed his club season, yet Luis de la Fuente named him in Spain’s 26. He missed the warm-ups against Iraq and Peru, and the aim is to feature against Cabo Verde on Monday at 18.00 at the Atlanta Stadium.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo