The top 10 most valuable teams at the 2026 World Cup

The 2026 World Cup kicks off in eight days, with 48 nations set to compete for football’s ultimate prize. Ahead of the tournament, Football Whispers assesses which countries boast the most valuable squads.

On May 14, Didier Deschamps unveiled the 26 players who will represent France at the World Cup. All nations had until June 1 to submit their final squads to FIFA, who published all 48 lists on Tuesday, 2 June—giving us a clear picture of what lies ahead.

As expected in this first 48-team World Cup, the gulf between the world’s heavyweights and the minnows is enormous.

France Lead the Way, Favourites' Status Reinforced

Unsurprisingly, France—boasting a galaxy of stars—top the rankings.

The combined market value of Didier Deschamps's 26-man squad is €1.53bn, with Kylian Mbappe valued at €200m and Michael Olise at €150m among the standout names.

1	France	€1.53bn
2	England	€1.31bn
3	Spain	€1.26bn
4	Portugal	€1.02bn
5	Germany	€998m
6	Brazil	€912.2m
7	Netherlands	€837.2m
8	Argentina	€817.5m
9	Norway	€601m
10	Belgium	€542.9m
11	Ivory Coast	€530.9m
12	Morocco	€488.2m
13	Senegal	€472.9m
14	Turkey	€472.7m
15	Sweden	€427.98m
16	Uruguay	€405.3m
17	Croatia	€389.7m
18	United States	€381.65m
19	Ecuador	€376.2m
20	Switzerland	€332.6m
21	Colombia	€304.75m
22	Japan	€278.9m
23	Algeria	€256.6m
24	Austria	€231.7m
25	Ghana	€230.88m
26	Canada	€196.15m
27	Mexico	€194.55m
28	Czech Republic	€190.18m
29	Scotland	€176.23m
30	Paraguay	€155.65m
31	Bosnia-Herzegovina	€149m
32	DR Congo	€148.75m
33	South Korea	€139.15m
34	Egypt	€134.68m
35	Australia	€77.4m
36	Tunisia	€70.65m
37	Uzbekistan	€70.33m
38	Cape Verde	€55.95m
39	Haiti	€55.6m
40	South Africa	€46.8m
41	Saudi Arabia	€37m
42	New Zealand	€35.6m
43	Panama	€34.83m
44	Iran	€32.65m
45	Curaçao	€25.83m
46	Iraq	€21m
47	Qatar	€19.93m
48	Jordan	€19.83m

This underlines that Les Bleus have the strongest squad on paper. While the highest-valued team does not always lift the trophy, the favourites’ tag—and its accompanying pressure—rests firmly on France’s shoulders.

At the draw, Group I—featuring France, Norway, Senegal and Iraq—was labelled the group of death, and the transfer values reflect that: this group has the highest combined squad value in the tournament at €2.625bn, ahead of Group L (England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama) at €1.965bn.

The End of Belgium's Golden Generation

Belgium’s third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup—after pushing France hard in a narrow semi-final defeat—now feels like a distant memory. Eden Hazard has retired, and while Thibaut Courtois and Kevin De Bruyne remain with the Red Devils, they are far less well supported than eight years ago.

Rudi Garcia’s side, now trying to rebuild momentum, are no longer considered contenders—more like outsiders. Their squad value reflects that, sitting only 10th at €542.9m, with Norway (€601m) and the Netherlands (€837.2m) both ranked above them.

Ivory Coast: A Surprising African Leader

Just behind Belgium, Ivory Coast have emerged as a surprise African pace-setter. With a combined market value of €530.9m for their 26-man squad, the Elephants rank 11th. The rise of Yan Diomande—now valued at €90m and reportedly content to stay at RB Leipzig despite outside interest—has been a major factor.

Ivory Coast’s squad is thus more valuable than those of the continent’s two most prominent sides in recent years: Morocco (€488.2m) and Senegal (€472.9m). The latter two met in the AFCON final earlier this year, with Senegal winning on penalties.

A Surprising Bottom End — Qatar Among the Cheapest

At the foot of the rankings, one might have expected Curacao or Haiti—making only their second World Cup appearance—to prop up the table. However, Haiti are well clear of that thanks in part to Wilson Isidor and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, valued at €18m and €16m respectively, finishing 39th with a total squad value of €55.6m.

Curacao (€25.83m) rank above Iraq (€21m), Qatar (€19.93m) and Jordan (€19.83m). As for Jordan, Moussa Al-Tamari of Rennes is a relatively well-known name, but he is the only Jordanian player with a market value above €1m.