The market value of the Cape Verde team is 22 times less than that of the Spain team. The discrepancy between the two teams helps explain the repercussions after the match, this Monday (15).
The two countries faced each other in the first game of group H, of the 2026 World Cup, and ended 0-0. The result was classified by the international press as disastrous for the Europeans and historic for the Africans.
The Cape Verde team is valued at 54.5 million euros (R$320 million), considering the sum of all players called up for the FIFA World Cup, according to the website Transfermarkt.
Using the same criteria, Spain is worth 1.22 billion euros (R$7 billion) and is the third most expensive team in this World Cup, behind England and France.
Lamine Yamal, 18, is Fúria Roja’s most expensive player — valued at 200 million euros (R$1.1 billion) — and also one of the youngest in the tournament.
The Barcelona star came on midway through the second half and was unable to break through the Cape Verdean defense, headed by goalkeeper Vozinha, 40, one of the oldest in this World Cup.
The market value of the African idol is 50 thousand euros (R$ 294 thousand).
The most expensive player on the Cape Verde team is defender Logan Costa, a starter for Villarreal, valued at 15 million euros (R$88 million). Costa’s market value is a tenth of the estimated value to sign Spanish midfielder Pedri — 150 million euros (R$882 million) and Roja’s second most expensive.
Three other players from Spain — Pau Cubarsí, Martín Zubimendi and Dani Olmo — have individual values higher than the 54.5 million (R$ 320 million) of the Cape Verde squad.
In the FIFA national team rankings, the Spanish occupy third place, behind France and Argentina. Cape Verdeans are 61 positions below Spain, in 64th.
