5 most valuable forwards in the world right now
Football in the modern era has come very far from what it used to be at its origin. Over the centuries, the beautiful game has gone through a countless number of changes, and one aspect of the game that has exponentially risen over the past decades is the value of a footballer.
We have seen the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Paul Pogba and Neymar being snapped up by clubs for astronomical values.
The International centre of sports studies (CIES) is an independent study center located in Neuchatel, Switzerland. It was created in 1955 as a joint venture between FIFA, the University of Neuchatel, the City and the State of Neuchatel. Every month the CIES football observatory updates the valuation of players from the top five leagues using its exclusive algorithm.
In their latest edition, there has been a significant change in the top of the list. So let's take a look at the 5 most valuable forwards in the world right now.
Before we start, some of the honorable mentions are Raheem Sterling, Romelu Lukaku, Antoine Griezmann and Paulo Dybala.
To check out the full CIES report, click here.
#5 Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Value: €170.6m (£149.3m)
Lionel Messi is arguably the best player ever to have embraced the game. In the year 2000, a young 13-year-old Messi moved to La Masia. After spending four years in Barcelona's academy, he burst into the senior team - and the rest is history.
The list of his achievements is endless, so I'll just point out a few. The Argentine has won numerous La Liga titles, Spanish Cups, Champions League Cups and five Ballon d'Or trophies.
While speaking about Messi, Arsene Wenger once said:
Messi is the best player in the world by some distance. He's like a PlayStation. He can take advantage of every mistake we make.
Pep Guardiola has been quoted as saying:
I feel sorry for those who want to compete for Messi's throne – it's impossible, this kid is unique.
Fabio Capello also shared his thoughts about the Argentine:
In my entire life I have never seen a player of such quality and personality at such a young age, particularly wearing the 'heavy' shirt of one of the world's great clubs.
The CIES values Messi at €170.6m. The only reason he is not on top of the list is because of his age, which is a factor in the algorithm used by CIES. Valuation apart, the only way you can describe Leo in a word is - 'priceless'.