Far ahead of Dembele, Lamine Yamal is officially the world's number one.

Barcelona's superstar Lamine Yamal has officially become the most expensive player on Earth, valued at a record €358 million, far surpassing current elite players worldwide.

The CIES Football Observatory recently released its ranking of the 100 highest transfer value players in the world. According to this organization's statistical model, Lamine Yamal occupies the top spot with a valuation of €358 million, the highest in the history of CIES rankings.

Notably, the young Barcelona star has created a huge gap over the rest. Erling Haaland ranks second at €227 million, while Kylian Mbappe is third at €166 million.

Yamal's lead at the top of the ranking becomes even more impressive when compared to the 2026 Ballon d'Or race. According to GiveMeSport, Ousmane Dembele is currently the strongest contender for this prestigious individual award after an explosive season with PSG.

The 2025 Ballon d'Or winner has scored 19 goals and provided 11 assists in 39 matches across all competitions, while consistently shining in big games in the Champions League. However, in terms of transfer value, Dembele still trails far behind Yamal.

According to CIES, this ranking is not only based on current form but also takes into account various factors such as age, contract length, development potential, and economic value of the player. This is why the 18-year-old Barcelona talent has surpassed established stars.

Besides Yamal, PSG also impresses with four players valued at over €100 million: Desire Doue, Joao Neves, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Warren Zaire-Emery. This shows that the French club currently possesses one of the youngest and most promising squads in Europe.

On the flip side, Yan Diomande is the player whose value has increased the most over the past year, rising by €75 million to reach €119 million. Meanwhile, Alexander Isak is the biggest loser, dropping by €54 million.

At just 18 years old, Lamine Yamal has already become a new icon for Barcelona and Spanish football. With a valuation of up to €358 million, this young talent not only tops the world in transfer value but also shows that he is regarded as the most promising star in modern football.