496 players updated 

©TM/IMAGO

Just ahead of the World Cup, Transfermarkt has updated the market values of 496 players competing in the Saudi Pro League. At the very top, despite a downgrade of €5m to €30m remains Mateo Retegui. More on the Italian striker in a bit because the big headline is that after leading his club team to the Saudi championship, Cristiano Ronaldo received an age-related downgrade from €12m to €10m.

“Cristiano once again delivered an extraordinary season, continuing to perform at a level rarely seen from a 41-year-old player,” Area Manager Asia, Tiberius Radziejewski, said. “However, despite another outstanding campaign, age remains an unavoidable factor. As a result, a small downgrade is inevitable even in the face of his recent performances.” Despite the downgrade, a market value of €10m remains unprecedented for any player above 40. Indeed, Ronaldo also remains a cornerstone for his country as Portugal heads into the 2026 World Cup, a tournament the country could win.

Ronaldo won’t be the only Al-Nassr player playing for Portugal either, as João Félix was also called up. “One of the league’s standout stars and a key figure in Al-Nassr’s long-awaited championship-winning campaign, João Félix is enjoying his best season in years,” Radziejewski said. “The 26-year-old recorded 45 goal contributions in 47 matches, helping guide the club to the league championship. While the level of competition must be taken into account, his performances earn him only his second market value increase in the last five years.” Félix’s market value is up by €3m to €28m.

Saudi Pro League market value update: Retegui down Quiñones up – Al-Hilal stars drop

Not headed to the World Cup is striker Retegui, as Italy missed out on qualification for the third consecutive tournament. “The league’s most valuable player receives a further €5 million downgrade following his record transfer last year,” Radziejewski said. “His performances have been particularly underwhelming in the closing stages of the season and were further affected by a serious injury. While his statistics remain fine, the number of penalties adding onto his tally, the lower level of competition in most matches, and the fact that he has not proven irreplaceable make another downgrade difficult to avoid.”

Retegui’s teammate at Al-Qadsiah, Julián Quiñones, received a small upgrade. “Since arriving two years ago, Julián Quiñones has made and shown an immediate impact,” Radziejewski said. “This season, he surpassed even his impressive numbers from last year, including an eight-match scoring streak. After his season for the history books, he is rewarded with a modest increase in value.” Quiñones now has a chance to further increase his market value at the World Cup, where he will be representing Mexico.

At Al-Hilal, there were several downgrades. Among them Theo Hernández (-€8m to €20m), Darwin Núñez (-€5m to €20m) and Sergej Milinković-Savić (-€3m to €12m). After three years in Saudi Arabia, Sergej receives a downgrade also for sporting reasons for the first time,” Radziejewski said. “In what was a disappointing season for Al-Hilal, his individual performances also declined noticeably. Combined with his age, a reduction in market value is needed.” Also on a continued decline is French striker Karim Benzema. “Benzema’s move to rivals Al-Hilal was among the most headline-grabbing transfers of the league this year, following a really expensive contract termination,” Radziejewski said. “However, injuries and limited playing time have prevented the 38-year-old from making a significant impact yet. Given both his performances and advancing age, another slight downgrade is warranted.” Benzema dropped from €6m to €5m.

How Transfermarkt market values work

The Transfermarkt market values are calculated, taking into account various pricing models. A major factor is the Transfermarkt community, whose members discuss and evaluate player market values in detail. In general, the Transfermarkt market values are not to be equated with transfer fees.

The goal is not to predict a price but an expected value of a player in a free market. Both individual transfer modalities and situational conditions are relevant in determining market values. Examples of this are listed below. Transfermarkt does not use an algorithm (you can find the detailed market value definition here).