Barcelona midfielder Lamine Yamal has been named the world's most expensive player by the International Centre for Football Observatory (CIES), the organization announced.
The Spanish player's transfer value is estimated at 358.1 million euros. Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland is second (227.3 million euros). Real Madrid's French striker Kylian Mbappe (165.7 million euros) completes the top three.
Lamine Yamal tops the CIES ranking of the world's most expensive footballers for the second time in a row. In 2025, his value was estimated at 402.3 million euros. Holland was also in second place then (€239.6 million), while Real Madrid's English midfielder Jude Bellingham (€233.8 million), who did not make the top 10 in 2026, was third.
The 18-year-old midfielder is a product of Barcelona's academy. He has been playing for the first team since 2023. This season, Yamal has played 45 games for Barcelona in various tournaments, scoring 24 goals and recording 18 assists. Together with the "Catalans" he has two La Liga titles, two Spanish Super Cups and one Spanish Cup.
Yamal made his debut for the Spanish national team in 2023 and has played 25 matches. He has 6 goals and 12 assists. With Spain, the midfielder won the European Championship in 2024 and reached the final of the Nations League in 2025.