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Does Ronaldo make the cut?
©TM/IMAGO
On Sunday Real Madrid and Barcelona will lock horns for the first El Clásico of the season to see which of the Spanish giants can lay claim to top spot in LaLiga. Over the course of their illustrious history, the Spanish duo have faced each other no less than 258 times across all competitions, with Madrid winning 106 of those matches and Barcelona winning 104. While this fixture may be early in the season, it could go a long way psychologically in this term's title race.
Aside from the game itself, this fixture offers us an opportunity to look back at what many consider to be the biggest rivalry in all of European football. While other fixtures can lay claim to better atmospheres or stronger geographical ties, few clubs can match the rich history and remarkable star power that Madrid and Barcelona have been able to boast about for much of the last 100 years. So when we flick through the history books and remember the many top talents that played for both clubs, which stars make an all-time starting XI from both clubs if we were to judge them on their highest ever market value while at the club? Let’s take a look.
The all-time most valuable Barcelona and Real Madrid combined XI
The graphic below displays a starting XI composed of the most valuable players to have ever represented Barcelona or Real Madrid based on their peak market values on Transfermarkt whilst at the clubs. The team has a total combined value of €1.48 billion, highlighting the immense quality and financial stature of players from these two iconic clubs. The forward line is led by Kylian Mbappé, valued at €180m when he made the move to Spain last year, flanked by Vinícius Jr on the left, who boasted a value of €200m in 2024, and Barcelona's young sensation Lamine Yamal on the right, who is currently valued at €200m. Lionel Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history, occupies the No.10 position with a peak value of €180m when he was playing for Barcelona in 2018.
The midfield features Madrid's Jude Bellingham alongside Barca's Pedri, who have current market values of €180m and €140m respectively. Jordi Alba can still lay claim to being the most valuable left-back at either side, having enjoyed a market value of €70m in 2018, whilst Madrid's new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold's current market value of €75m puts him in first place at right-back. In the centre of defence we have a blast from the past in Raphael Varane (market value of €80m in 2018), which contrasts quite nicely with young Barcelona star Pau Cubarsí, who currently enjoys a market value of €80m despite only being 18 years old. The goalkeeper spot is taken by Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen, valued at €90m at his peak in 2019, which makes him the second most valuable shot-stopper of all time.
Where is Cristiano Ronaldo?
While the starting XI pictured above is unquestionably a who’s who of some of the best players to ever grace Spanish football, there is one obvious name missing: Cristiano Ronaldo. Few players can claim to be as decorated as the former Real Madrid star. So why didn’t Ronaldo make the cut? Well, unfortunately for the forward, at his peak for Madrid his market value rose to a high of €120m in 2014 and stayed there or thereabouts until 2018. In that period Ronaldo was considered the joint most valuable player in the world alongside Messi. However, football has come on leaps and bounds since then and with more money in the game, it has meant that transfer fees and market values have also risen with each passing year. As such, Ronaldo’s peak market value of €120m places him considerably behind the attacking line up that Madrid and Barcelona can put together.
