MESSI IS WORLD'S MOST VALUABLE FOOTBALLER

GENEVA (AFP) – Barcelona and Argentina star Lionel
Messi remains the world’s most valuable footballer, even
though his crown slipped this season, a market study
showed on Wednesday.
In its annual report on the player market, the Swiss-
based CIES Football Observatory put Messi’s value at
216 million euros ($294 million).
Even though Messi’s lower performance levels slashed 19
million euros from his market value, he was still worth
almost twice as much as arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo,
second in the ranking on 114 million euros.
CIES said that Messi’s higher value was mainly related
to his younger age — he turns 27 this month, while
Portuguese icon Ronaldo is already 29.
Ronaldo’s heroics this season with Champions League
winners Real Madrid meanwhile saw his market value
climb by four million euros.
The study also showed that Real Madrid did the worst
deal — in market terms — for a single player when they
spent a record 100 million euros to sign Welshman
Gareth Bale from London club Tottenham.
“Real Madrid clearly paid over the odds to convince
Tottenham to release the player,” CIES said, underlining
that Bale’s market value was now 37 million euros less
than he cost the Spanish club.
Real spent an average of 32.3 million euros per player to
build its Champions League squad — the most expensive
line-up on record.
Champions League runners-up Atletico Madrid, who this
season also clinched the Spanish title, made do with 4.3
million euros per player.
Other clubs where results outstripped spending included
Crystal Palace in England, Elche in Spain, Guingamp in
France, Augsburg in Germany and Verona in Italy, the
study showed.

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