With the FIFA Club World Cup set to commence in less than a week, we highlight the five most valuable players who are set to take part in the newly revamped global spectacle.
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The expanded 32-team competition is on the cusp of kicking off, with Al Ahly and Inter Miami set to get proceedings under way. While both teams boast recognisable figures among their ranks — the Herons with football icon Lionel Messi and Spanish legend Sergio Busquets, and the Red Devils with Mahmoud Trezeguet and Hussein El Shahat — none of them feature among the five most valuable players at the tournament.
Fans will have to wait until the second match of the tournament to see one of them in action — Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala.
The German playmaker is regarded as one of world football’s most highly rated talents, already boasting a significant trophy haul despite being just 22 years old. He already has a Club World Cup title to his name and will be aiming to add another.
It remains to be seen whether he will start in the Bavarians’ opening match against Auckland FC, as he has only recently recovered from a hamstring injury. Musiala is the fifth most valuable player at the competition, with a valuation of €140 million (R2.8 billion).
Despite being 22, Musiala is not the youngest player among the top five most valuable stars featuring in the United States. That honour belongs to Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham who, according to Transfermarkt, is valued at €180 million (R3.6 billion) — making him the joint most valuable player at the tournament, alongside teammates Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland.
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Many will be expecting the aforementioned players to shine brightest in North America, but it remains to be seen which side will ultimately reign supreme come mid-July.
