Spain vs. Argentina World Cup squads: Market values, most expensive players | World Cup 2026

Spain and Argentina meet in the World Cup 2026 final at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, on Sunday, with La Roja chasing a first title since 2010 and La Albiceleste bidding to become the first side to retain the trophy since Brazil in 1962. 

Both nations arrive as two of the standout teams of the tournament, but how do their squads compare when it comes to overall market value? Football Whispers takes a look at how they compare in terms of their most and least valuable squad players.

Spain vs Argentina  squad value comparison

All values from Transfermarkt

Spain's squad is valued at €1.22bn (£1.04bn), the third-highest total at the entire World Cup. Argentina, by contrast, are valued at €807.50m (£687.9m), ranking seventh overall. 

The gap between the two finalists is well over €400m, making Spain comfortably the more expensively-assembled squad of the two, even if Argentina go into the game as reigning world champions.

Spain vs Argentina most valuable players

Spain's three most valuable players are Lamine Yamal (€200.00m/£170.00m), Pedri (€150.00m/£128.00m) and Pau Cubarsi (€80.00m/£68.00m), three products of Barcelona's academy who all still have their best years ahead of them. 

Argentina's three most valuable players are Julian Alvarez (€100.00m/£85.2m), Enzo Fernandez (€90.00m/£76.6m) and Lautaro Martinez (€85.00m/£72.42m). All three have played key roles in the run to the final, with Martinez and Alvarez among the goals along the way and Fernandez a mainstay in midfield.

Spain vs Argentina least valuable players

Spain's three least valuable players are Borja Iglesias (€2.8m/£2.4m), Aymeric Laporte (€8m/£6.8m) and Alejandro Grimaldo (€20m/£17m). 

The valuation attached to Laporte in particular feels light given he is been a central figure in what has been the tournament's best defence.

Largely down to his age (39), Lionel Messi is valued at just €15m (£12.8m) by Transfermarkt, lower than 14 of his Argentina teammates, despite being by some distance the most famous player at the tournament. 

Nicolas Otamendi is Argentina's outright least valuable squad player at just €1.00m (£850k), followed by Juan Musso (€3.00m/£2.56m) and Nicolas Tagliafico (€4.00m/£3.41m).

Spain vs Argentina transfer records

Interestingly, the most expensive Spanish player in the current squad is one who has not kicked a ball at this World Cup, which is Martin Zubimendi. 

The midfielder signed for Arsenal for €70m (£60m) in the summer of 2025, making him the most expensive Spanish player in the 2026 World Cup squad. Should Yamal ever leave Barcelona, he is expected to certainly smash that record.

Argentina's most expensive player in history is Enzo Fernandez, who joined Chelsea from Benfica in January 2023 for around €121m (£103.08m), comfortably Argentina's biggest-ever transfer.