England host Brazil at Wembley on Saturday, marking their first meeting in just under seven years.
Both nations are preparing for their respective continental tournaments this summer, in what is the final international break before their latest shot at major silverware.
Brazil arrive in London battered, bruised and without a host of key players including Neymar, Alisson and captain Casemiro. Having lost three games in a row for the first time in Selecao history to close out 2023, the nation are hopeful for a revival this weekend
The disparity between the two in terms of success is well documented, but after InstantCasinos took a deep dive into the current make-up of each team, England appear far better positioned to end their trophy drought.
Using football database Transfermarkt, we show just how dominant England are expected to be in accordance with their combined market value, which trumps Brazil’s by almost half-a-billion Euros.
England Squad is Worth €495.9m More Than Brazil’s
Given the abundance of talent that England currently have at their disposal, it is no surprise to see them as far ahead as they are.
They head to Germany this summer as the most valuable team at Euro 2024, not least thanks to the likes of Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane, who rank among the most expensive players in world football.
However, Jude Bellingham – who is favoured for the Ballon D’or this year – is a major driver behind the Three Lions’ drastic market value upsurge. This season alone, La Liga’s top scorer has jumped a whole €60m, meaning he will be the most valuable player on the pitch on Saturday at €180m.
On the other side of the field, Bellingham’s Madrid teammate Vinicius Jr is Brazil’s prized asset at €150m, making up over 15% of their total €914m market value.
Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz has been his nation’s biggest market mover this campaign, commanding a fee of at least €70m compared to his early season valuation of €40m.
At the other end of the spectrum, one of Gareth Southgate’s most loyal generals – Jordan Henderson – may finally be nearing the twilight of his England career.
A failed, but not surprising disaster spell in Saudi Arabia prompted the former Liverpool captain to head to Ajax after just a few months, where he is hoping to position himself for a plane ticket to Germany this summer.
A turbulent few months for Henderson has seen him drop to a value of just €6m on the market.
The likes of Marcus Rashford, Raphinha and out-of-favour Aaron Ramsdale have all struggled for either form or game time this term, seeing their values fall by at least €10m or more.
England’s Squad Value tripled since last meeting vs Brazil 7 years ago
As mentioned, England and Brazil last locked horns in 2017 – a fixture that saw the likes of Jake Livermore, Ryan Bertrand and Joe Hart line-up at Wembley.
England’s renaissance under the guidance of Gareth Southgate – which has seen them nurture a wealth of world-class players and reach the latter stage of international tournaments – has led to a sizeable jump in market value.
A 214% increase to be precise, while Brazil have also experienced an upsurge, albeit by just 53%.
Of course, the market dictates player values and football has reached new unfathomable amounts in transfer fees. However, it is testament to England’s switch in mindset since the previous meeting that they are now home to some of the world’s most valuable players.
Just five of the players who started for England that day still remain in the squad, whilst Brazil’s new youthful complexion also means just five remain.
Commentary
Lee Astley, Head of News for Instant Casinos, said: “It’s just like watching Brazil…or should I say England.
“Seeing the squad that took to the field seven years ago is a stark reminder of the overwhelming good fortune flowing through England at this moment in time.
“England now boast some of the most valuable young players in world football to rival Brazil, who as a nation treat the sport as a religion.
“A well-balanced team with players featuring for global powerhouses such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester City shows the team of 2017 to be a far cry.”
