Messi and Lamine Yamal: The Highest-Valued Players in Barcelona ...
FC Barcelona is widely regarded as one of the top clubs globally for nurturing young talent, and its famed academy, La Masia, stands as the most renowned football academy in the world.
This reputation stems from producing a legend who defined an era and another prodigy captivating the world today: Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal. Both players hold the highest market valuations among talents developed by the Blaugrana club.
The Argentine legend remains the most valuable academy product in Barça’s history, with a peak valuation of $195 million, followed by the young Spaniard, who currently boasts a record-breaking $162 million market value.
Only three players from Barça’s academy have ever reached nine-figure valuations: Messi, Lamine Yamal, and Mauro Icardi, who peaked at $108 million in 2018 while playing for Inter Milan in Serie A.
Mauro Icardi, currently a striker for Galatasaray, never made his debut for Barcelona’s first team. Alongside Xavi Simons, he is one of the few notable academy players who didn’t feature for the Camp Nou side. By contrast, Lionel Messi holds the record for most appearances in the club's history with 778 matches, while the rising star Lamine Yamal has already surpassed 60 appearances.
In addition to Lamine Yamal, two other members of Barcelona's current squad rank among the academy’s top 10 most valuable products: Gavi and Ansu Fati.
The list also features iconic Barcelona figures, such as:
