The Most Valuable Football Leagues Around the World in 2026

Football’s transfer market has never felt more inflated. Each window brings new record fees, and even mid table clubs in some countries are now spending sums that used to be reserved for continental giants. Behind those deals, though, sits a more basic question: where is the real financial power in the modern game, and which leagues actually hold the most valuable squads?

With that in mind, Winsportsonline set out to compare the combined market values of top flight competitions around the world, looking not only at Europe’s traditional big five but also at the strongest leagues in South America, North America, Asia and beyond. The aim was to move past individual transfers and star names and instead capture the broader picture of how talent and money are distributed across domestic championships.

The snapshot for 2026 shows a sharply tiered landscape. Twelve leagues have passed the €1 billion euro mark in total squad value, led by the English Premier League on €12.56 billion – a figure higher than the combined totals of La Liga and Italy’s Serie A. Outside Europe, only Brazil’s Serie A, Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League join that elite group, underlining how heavily concentrated football’s top end remains in a small cluster of competitions.

Key Takeaways:

• A total of 12 football leagues worldwide have surpassed the €1 billion mark in total market value
• The English Premier League (€12.56 billion) is the most valuable football league, exceeding the combined worth of La Liga (€5.45 billion) and Serie A (€5.36 billion)
• The “Big Five” European leagues Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga (€4.80 billion) and Ligue 1 (€3.84 billion) remain the dominant financial powerhouses
• Outside Europe, Brazil’s Serie A (€1.81 billion), Major League Soccer (€1.18 billion) and the Saudi Pro League (€1.08 billion) are the only leagues surpassing €1 billion in market value
• The Saudi Pro League is the only Asian league in the €1 billion club, reflecting its continued investment in top tier players
• Portugal’s Liga Portugal (€1.80 billion), the Netherlands Eredivisie (€1.26 billion), Turkiye’s Super Lig (€1.27 billion) and Russia’s Premier Liga (€1.05 billion) also rank among the world’s most valuable leagues
• MLS (€1.18 billion) has a higher total market value than the Saudi Pro League (€1.08 billion)
• South America’s most valuable leagues within the dataset Brazil’s Serie A and Argentina’s Apertura (€929.69 million) comfortably outpace almost all Asian and African competitions in total valuation
• Egypt’s Premier League (€173.70 million) is the most valuable domestic competition in Africa

The Most Valuable Domestic Football Leagues in the World

Twelve domestic leagues worldwide have now surpassed the €1 billion mark in total market value, showcasing the financial strength of elite club football. The English Premier League (€12.56 billion) remains by far the most valuable competition, and its combined squad value exceeds the total for both La Liga (€5.45 billion) and Serie A (€5.36 billion) put together.

The “Big Five” European leagues continue to dominate the rankings. Behind the Premier League sit La Liga and Serie A in a tight race just above €5 billion each, followed by the Bundesliga (€4.80 billion) and Ligue 1 (€3.84 billion). Together, these five competitions account for the majority of global top level player value.

Outside the traditional big five, several other leagues have firmly established themselves in the billion euro club. Brazil’s Serie A (€1.81 billion) is the most valuable league outside Europe, closely followed by Portugal’s Liga Portugal (€1.80 billion). Turkey’s Super Lig (€1.27 billion) and the Netherlands Eredivisie (€1.26 billion) also sit comfortably above the threshold. Major League Soccer (€1.18 billion), the Saudi Pro League (€1.08 billion) and Russia’s Premier Liga (€1.05 billion) complete the group, underlining how financial strength is now spread across Europe, South America, North America and Asia, albeit still heavily concentrated in a small number of competitions.

The financial gap, however, remains stark. The Premier League alone holds more than double the valuation of any other league and nearly matches the combined value of La Liga and Serie A. At the other end of the €1 billion group, the Saudi Pro League and Russia’s Premier Liga illustrate how sustained investment and strong domestic followings can elevate competitions into the global financial elite.

A closer look at Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Saudi Pro League highlights an interesting financial contrast. MLS has a total market valuation of €1.18 billion, ahead of the Saudi Pro League at €1.08 billion. On pure league wide value, the North American competition still edges its Asian counterpart. In practical terms, MLS spreads its €1.18 billion across a broad franchise base, while the Saudi Pro League concentrates €1.08 billion into a smaller group of squads, amplifying the financial muscle of its leading teams.

The Most Valuable Domestic Football Leagues in the World with Estimates Under €1 Billion

In Europe’s next tier below the €1 billion mark, Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League is the closest challenger with a combined squad value of €980.65 million. It is followed by a strong group of mid-sized leagues: Greece’s Super League 1 (€543.18 million), Ukraine’s Premier Liga (€411.28 million), Denmark’s Superliga (€405.15 million), the Czech Republic’s Chance Liga (€395.61 million), Switzerland’s Super League (€379.85 million), Poland’s Ekstraklasa (€374.18 million) and Austria’s Bundesliga (€367.89 million). Further down the ranking sit Scotland’s Premiership (€347.97 million), Norway’s Eliteserien (€308.18 million), Serbia’s Super liga (€289.03 million), Sweden’s Allsvenskan (€264.81 million), Romania’s SuperLiga (€246.31 million), Croatia’s SuperSport HNL (€225.46 million) and Bulgaria’s Efbet Liga (€196.67 million), all maintaining solid but clearly lower valuations than the continent’s 1-billion-plus elite.

In North and South America, besides Brazil’s Serie A (€1.81 billion) and MLS (€1.18 billion), the other high-value leagues are Argentina’s Apertura (€929.69 million), Mexico’s Clausura (€900.35 million), Colombia’s Liga Dimayor (€172.20 million), Uruguay’s Liga AUF Apertura (€164.40 million) and Chile’s Liga Primera (€152.60 million). Argentina and Mexico sit just below the €1 billion threshold and form the backbone of their respective regions outside the very top band represented by Brazil and MLS.

In Asia and Africa, the Saudi Pro League (€1.08 billion) leads the way, but several sub-billion leagues still post notable numbers. In Asia, the Stars League in Qatar (€352.60 million), the UAE Pro League (€345.80 million), Japan’s J1 League (€298.63 million) and Israel’s Ligat ha’Al (€155.95 million) form the main chasing pack. In Africa, Egypt’s Premier League (€173.70 million) and South Africa’s Betway Premiership (€156.00 million) are the most valuable competitions in the dataset, underlining the sizeable gap that still exists between African domestic football and the financial giants of Europe, South America and the Gulf.