Which team is the most expensive at the 2026 World Cup?

The value of four national teams that will be playing in the 2026 World Cup is estimated to be over 1 billion euros. For the first time in history, 18 footballers whose value exceeds 100 million euros will play in the tournament. But do huge sums of money decide the fate of the title?

In this article, we will look at the top 10 most expensive national teams of the 2026 World Cup, compare the cost of their squads and team leaders.

The most expensive national teams of the 2026 World Cup

France – €1.52 billion

The French national team approaches the 2026 World Cup as the most expensive team of the tournament. The total value of the Tricolours squad is estimated at around €1.52 billion, making Didier Deschamps' team the world leader in terms of players' transfer value. The main star of the team remains Kylian Mbappe, whose value is estimated at 200 million euros - he is one of the three most expensive footballers in the world. But the team includes world-class players in almost every position: Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Dué and William Saliba are among the most expensive footballers in the world - all of them are worth more than €100 million.

England – €1.36 billion

The England national team ranks second in the ranking of the most expensive teams of the 2026 World Cup with a total squad value of €1.36 billion. This is largely due to the financial power of the Premier League, where most of the national team leaders play. Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Morgan Rogers are considered the main assets of the English from the EPL. But the most expensive player of the Three Lions plays outside his home country - Jude Bellingham from Real Madrid is worth 130 million euros. And Thomas Tuchel did not call up Cole Palmer and Phil Foden, who are among the ten most expensive Englishmen.

Spain – €1.22 billion

The base of the €1.22 billion sum is formed by the new generation of Spanish stars, which has already made a name for itself at the international level. The team's main asset is considered to be Lamine Yamal - Transfermarkt places him at the top of the most expensive footballers in the world with a market value of €200 million. A significant part of the overall assessment is made up of Pedri, Rodri, Gavi, Pau Cubarsi and Nico Williams. Unlike the era of Xavi and Andres Iniesta, who would obviously be worth more than 100 million euros in today's money, the current Furia Roja is built not around a few leaders, but around a whole group of young players.

Portugal – €1.01 billion

The main driver of the one billion euro valuation remains the concentration of elite attacking footballers and midfielders - Rafael Leao, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Joao Neves and Pedro Neto. Analysts from the CIES Football Observatory highlight Neves as one of the fastest appreciating assets in world football and Diogo Costa - one of the three most expensive goalkeepers in the world in 2026. The value of the Portuguese squad is less dependent on Cristiano Ronaldo, who, according to Transfermarkt, is only 21st in the team. But even at 41, his value is 10 million euros.

Germany – €947 million

Despite the fact that the Germans are behind in terms of squad value compared to France, England, and Spain, the team still boasts an impressive group of world-class players. The main assets of the German national team are considered to be Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz, and Aleksandar Pavlovic. The younger generation makes up a significant portion of the transfer value of the German team. The Wirtz-Musiala duo is considered one of the most expensive and talented in world football. Germany has noticeably rejuvenated its squad, focusing on players who have come through the academies of Bundesliga teams.

Brazil – €928.2 million

The Brazilian national team is the most expensive team in the world outside Europe. The value of the five-time champions is estimated at €928.2 million. The majority of this sum is made up by attacking line players. The main asset of the Seleção remains Vinicius Junior (140 million euros) - the winger is almost twice as expensive as his closest competitors in the national team. Interestingly, two of the three most expensive Brazilians in the world - João Pedro and Estevão - did not make the World Cup squad. Brazilian footballers remain some of the most sought-after assets in the European transfer market, which is a key driver for further growth in transfer value.

Argentina – €782.5 million

Unlike France or England, where market value is distributed among a large number of young stars, the Argentinians have a significant part of the valuation concentrated around a few world-class players. The main assets of the team are considered to be Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Lautaro Martinez, Nico Paz and Alexis MacAllister. The transfer value of these five players makes up more than half of the entire monetary value. The current world champions are only in the second half of the top 10 in terms of squad value. This clearly shows that market value is not always directly related to sporting results. And if Ronaldo doesn't even make it into the top 20 most expensive players of the Portuguese national team, then another G.O.A.T. - Lionel Messi - is 14th on the list of Argentinians.

Netherlands – €754.2 million

The traditionally strong Dutch player development system continues to yield results: a significant part of the team's market value is formed by players who have come through the Eredivisie academies and subsequently became stars in leading European clubs. None of the players stand out significantly in terms of value, but eight players exceed the 40 million euro mark. The main assets are Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo, Tijani Reijnders and Mikki van de Ven.

Norway – €589.9 million

The Norwegian national team has become one of the main revelations of the ranking of the most expensive teams of the 2026 World Cup. The squad's value is estimated at approximately €589.9 million, although the lion's share of this valuation is made up of the transfer value of two players - Erling Haaland (200 million euros) and Martin Odegaard (65 million euros). Surprisingly, there are even players in the Norwegian squad whose transfer value does not exceed a million euros. But the current Norway does not look like a team of twoaround Haaland and Odegaard, a new generation of players such as Antonio Nusa, Andreas Schelderup and Oscar Bobb have emerged.

Belgium – €547.5 million

The Golden Generation of the Belgian national team is not as precious anymore - the Belgians round off the top ten most expensive teams of the World Cup. Some of the stars are already over 30 years old, which inevitably reflects on the transfer value - Kevin De Bruyne was valued by Transfermarkt at 8 million euros (20th place in the team), Romelu Lukaku - at 6 million euros (22nd), Axel Witsel with 1.2 million euros is the cheapest player of the national team. However, a young generation has come to replace the legends, in which Jeremy Doku stands out - the most valuable asset with a cost of 75 million euros. Belgian academies continue to supply players to top clubs in England, Germany, Italy and Spain, maintaining their place among the most expensive national teams in the world.

Predictions for all matches of the 2026 World Cup will be available in the tournament section from June 9.