Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo missing from list of most valuable players in the world

The debate for the best footballer in the world shifts the pendulum towards either Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. In the past 12 years, the Ballon d'Or has been won by Lionel Messi on six occasions and five times by Cristiano Ronaldo. However, neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo top the list for the most valuable players in the world. In fact, Lionel Messi isn't even in the top 5 in the list of the most valuable players in the world while Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't even make the cut for the top 10.

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Most valuable players in the world: Kylian Mbappe leads the way

According to Transfermarkt. the value of a player depends on several factors including, age, contract length, club and international caps. At the moment, Kylian Mbappe leads the charts with a whopping value of £189 million. At Paris Saint-Germain, Kylian Mbappe has been a goalscoring phenomenon. The 21-year-old Kylian Mbappe has also won the World Cup with his national team in 2018. At such a young age, Kylian Mbappe is certainly a star for the future and with skill, pace and predatory instincts, the Frenchman is a potential Ballon d'Or candidate for the future. Although it's not surprising to see Kylian Mbappe at the top, it is rather strange that Lionel Messi has slumped into eighth place on the list.

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Most valuable players in the world: Lionel Messi value

Once ranked at number one, Lionel Messi has now fallen eight spots. The Lionel Messi value is currently at £132 million. However, the reason for Lionel Messi falling down the pecking order is due to his Barcelona contract running down and also the fact that the Argentine is now 32 years of age. The age factor is also one of the main reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo couldn't make the cut into the top 10 of the most valuable players in the world. The 35-year-old Portuguese superstar is entering the twilight years of his career and his value is probably not as high as it once was during his peak years. 

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