Billion Pound England top World Cup valuation index

England have the most valuable players at the World Cup with the only squad valued at over one billion pounds – more than 12 other competing nations combined, researchers have revealed.

Experts at marketing firm Motive have published an online World Cup Team Value Index which highlights and compares the value of each of the 32 squads competing in Qatar.

England are top of the table with a squad worth an eye watering £1102.9m making them the only team competing for the trophy to have a value of more than one billion pounds.

Their closest rivals are Brazil who have a squad valued at £995.2m and France whose players are worth £933.1m.

At the other end of the table are Costa Rica with a squad valued at just £16.1m and hosts Qatar, whose entire squad could be bought for £16.2m.

The England players are worth more than the entire squads of 12 nations taking part in the tournament – Canada, Wales, South Korea, Ecuador, Cameroon, Japan, Iran, Tunisia, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Costa Rica.

The teams from those 12 nations have a collective value of £1043.6m – that’s £59.3m less than the England squad.

Steve McComish from researchers Motive, said: “If success on the football pitch were based solely on the value of the players taking part then we would see Harry Kane lifting the World Cup for England on December 18th after England defeated Brazil in the final.

“Looking at our World Cup Team Value Index every England fan can dream of Qatar glory and picture a triumphant team parading the trophy through Trafalgar Square in the days before Christmas.

“What an incredible start to the Christmas season that would be, to see England win their first major trophy since 1966.

“But sadly success on the pitch doesn’t always correlate to the value of the players involved and, as every England fan already knows all too well, dreams can quickly turn into nightmares.

“Even with the most expensive squad in the history of world football only the most dedicated England fan would feel entirely confident of Qatar glory.”