Lamine Yamal tops the world rankings of most valuable young players: how much is the Barcelona star worth?

Since making his professional debut in 2023, Lamine Yamal has amazed fans around the world with his extraordinary talent and ability to quickly adapt to the demands of professional football. Now firmly established as one Barcelona Remarkably, the Spanish winger has been ranked as the world’s most valuable young player.

That conclusion comes from the CIES Football Observatorya research group within the International Center for Sports Studies which specializes in the statistical analysis of football. This week, the organization released its list of the world’s most valuable players under the age of 20, based on its own statistical model.

Yamal leads the rankings by a huge margin. According to the analysis the Barcelona star is valued at €350 million (just over $400 million), almost three times higher than its nearest competitor – underscoring the remarkable impact Lamine has made at such a young age.

This dominance is not only reflected in his market value, but also in his status within professional football. Just months after turning 18, Yamal is already a key figure for both Barcelona and the club Spanish national team. He also finished second in the Ballon d’Or 2025 votes, behind Ousmane Dembele.

Chelsea’s Estevao follows Yamal

Sitting behind Yamal Estevao. The Brazilian winger, who participated Chelsea this season is rated at €118 million – more than €230 million less than the Barcelona player. But unlike Lamine, in this case there is a real benchmark to compare the CIES data to.

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Despite being only 18 years old, Estevao has already been the subject of a major transfer. This summer he moved from Palm trees to Chelsea became official in a deal worth €34 million upfront and a further €23 million in performance-based incentives. That brings the total to €57 million – approximately half of the CIES valuation.

According to CIES the most valuable young players in the world

The list led by Lamine Yamal and Estevao places another Barcelona star, Pau Cubarsi, in third place. The 18-year-old defender is one of the few players in his position to top the rankings, with an estimated value of €112.7 million. Ahead are other rising stars like Real Madrid‘S Franco Mastantuono (€102.4 million) And Warren Zaire-Emery of Paris Saint-Germain (€92.3 million).

Below you will find the complete top ten:

1. Lamine Yamal – Barcelona (€350 million)
2. Estevao – Chelsea (€118 million)
3. Pau Cubarsi – Barcelona (€112.7 million)
4. Franco Mastantuono – Real Madrid (€102.4 million)
5. Warren Zaire-Emery – Paris Saint-Germain (€92.3 million)
6. Ethan Nwaneri – Arsenal (€88.1 million)
7. Myles Lewis-Skelly – Arsenal (€84.8 million)
8. Geovany Quenda – Sporty CP (€80.2 million)
9. Endrik – Real Madrid (€73.2 million)
10. Lucas Bergvall –Tottenham (€68 million)