• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
List of top 25 most valuable players in 2007 makes for fascinating reading with Cristiano Ronaldo only 18th

Home> Football> Football News

Published 07:00 20 Nov 2024 GMT

List of top 25 most valuable players in 2007 makes for fascinating reading with Cristiano Ronaldo only 18th

The valuations are far different to what you would see today - and neither Messi nor Ronaldo are top.

Ryan Smart

Ryan Smart

A list of the 25 most valuable players in world football back in 2007 has re-emerged - and Cristiano Ronaldo is only 18th.

While transfer fees of over £100 million are now commonplace across European football, that sort of fee would have been laughed at 17 years ago.

Ronaldo's own world-record, £80 million move from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2009 unsurprisingly made headline news across the world at the time, with the Portuguese being one of the two best players on the planet alongside Lionel Messi.

It was expected that transfer fees would steadily rise over time - though whether to the staggering point they are at now is debatable.

Advert

In 2007, according to Transfermarkt, the 25th most valuable player in the world was AC Milan's Andrea Pirlo, who had a €25 million price tag.

John Terry scraped into the top 20 with a €33 million valuation, one place ahead of the €32m-rated Inter Milan striker Adriano.

Gianluigi Buffon - the only goalkeeper on the list - is next, also at €33 million.

Ronaldo was valued at just €34 million back then, with the 2006/07 campaign being his first prolific goalscoring season when he netted 17 Premier League goals.

Advert

Cristiano Ronaldo pictured in action for Man Utd in 2007 (Image: Getty)
Cristiano Ronaldo pictured in action for Man Utd in 2007 (Image: Getty)

Inter's Zlatan Ibrahimovic (15th) was one of a number of players to be valued at €35 million, with Atletico Madrid's Fernando Torres one place ahead of him months before his move to Liverpool.

Chelsea's Didier Drogba placed ahead of the likes of Samuel Eto'o and Wayne Rooney in 10th, with Real Madrid's Ruud van Nistelrooy - valued at €40.5 million - narrowly missing out on the top five in sixth.

That top five was headlined by Chelsea's Andriy Shevchenko, who flopped at Stamford Bridge but won the Ballon d'Or in 2005. His £30.8 million move to the Blues in the previous year ensured he maintained value.

Advert

Arsenal's Thierry Henry was in fourth, valued at €50 million, behind Lionel Messi at €60 million.

In second was AC Milan's Kaka, who was valued at €70 million shortly before his world-record £56 million (€67 million today) move to Real Madrid.

First place went to Barcelona superstar Ronaldinho, who was valued at €80 million. The Brazilian moved to AC Milan in 2008 and his valuation would quickly fall from there, but netted 24 goals in all competitions in 2006/07 as he remained at the top of his powers.

Ronaldinho pictured in action for Barcelona in 2007 (Image: Getty)
Ronaldinho pictured in action for Barcelona in 2007 (Image: Getty)

Advert

The full list is as follows:

Top 25 most valuable players (2007)

  • 25. Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan) - €30 million
  • 24. Robinho (Real Madrid) - €30.5 million
  • 23. Xavi (Barcelona) - €31 million
  • 22. Anderson (Manchester United) - €31.5 million
  • 21. Adriano (Inter Milan) - €32 million
Adriano pictured in action for Inter Milan in 2007 (Image: Getty)
Adriano pictured in action for Inter Milan in 2007 (Image: Getty)
  • 20. John Terry (Chelsea) - €33 million
  • 19. Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) - €33 million
  • 18. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) - €34 million
  • 17. David Villa (Valencia) - €35 million
  • 16. Michael Ballack (Chelsea) - €35 million
  • 15. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan) - €35 million
  • 14. Fernando Torres (Atletico Madrid) - €36 million
  • 13. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) - €36 million
  • 12. Arjen Robben (Chelsea) - €36 million
  • 11. Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona) - €38 million
Samuel Eto'o pictured in action for Barcelona in 2007 (Image: Getty)
Samuel Eto'o pictured in action for Barcelona in 2007 (Image: Getty)
  • 10. Didier Drogba (Chelsea) - €38.5 million
  • 9. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) - €38.5 million
  • 8. Frank Lampard (Chelsea) - €39.75 million
  • 7. Francesco Totti (Roma) - €40 million
  • 6. Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid) - €40.5 million
  • 5. Andriy Shevchenko (Chelsea) - €46 million
  • 4. Thierry Henry (Arsenal) - €50 million
  • 3. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - €60 million
Lionel Messi pictured in action for Barcelona in 2007 (Image: Getty)
Lionel Messi pictured in action for Barcelona in 2007 (Image: Getty)
  • 2. Kaka (AC Milan) - €70 million
  • 1. Ronaldinho (Barcelona) - €80 million
Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney

Ryan Smart
Ryan Smart

Live in constant hope of the top flight as a Preston North End fan. Written in the past for SPORF, GiveMeSport and more.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

10 mins ago
20 mins ago
29 mins ago
an hour ago
  • 10 mins ago

    Julio Enciso's controversial move away from Brighton collapses after fans left 'disgusted' by transfer

    Enciso was on the verge of completing the £13.8 million transfer.

    Football
  • 20 mins ago

    Chelsea brought in strict rule after Rio Ngumoha's move to Liverpool with clubs still 'at war'

    The 16-year-old scored in his second Premier League appearance for Liverpool against Newcastle on Monday.

    Football
  • 29 mins ago

    Wayne Rooney snubs Man Utd when naming current Premier League team he'd like to play for

    Red Devils legend makes a surprise choice and praises Manchester United rivals

    Football
  • an hour ago

    Champions League pots revealed ahead of league phase draw as Premier League clubs learn fate

    The draw for the 2025/26 Champions League league phase will take place in Monaco at 5 pm UK time on August 28.

    Football
  • List of 25 players who were picked as 'wonderkids' on Football Manager 2006 with scarily accurate predictions
  • Cristiano Ronaldo's record compared to Lionel Messi at 21 emerges and makes fascinating reading
  • Marca rank the six greatest players of all time as Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo GOAT debate settled
  • Little-known Argentinian was once the third highest paid player in the world behind only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo