Mess takes Argentina to the top of profits even outside the field

According to the “Your Brand Value Sports” index, Argentina ranks as the national highest value of the brand in the tournament, with an estimated $4.2 billion. Brazil is next with $4 billion and France with $3.8 billion.

Football is not measured only by goals

The release index for the World under way in the United States, Canada and Mexico does not relate to FIFA's sports rankings, but measures the impact nationals have on economic, media and commercial terms.

More than 50 different indicators have been used for this analysis, including media impact, digital presence, brand power, commercial potential and the ability to generate revenue.

The goal of the index is to show which nationals are creating more value inside and outside the playing field.

Mess continues to be a key factor

Although Argentina leads with $4.2 billion worth of Mark, the report estimates that there is still a commercial potential of $1.8 billion that has not been fully exploited.

According to the report's authors, this is related not only to Lionel Messin as a football player but to the symbol he represents.

Argentina's “Vlera is explained not only by Messi as a player, but by what it symbolizes. The history of the defending champion and legend that is closing an era generates a remarkable global impact”, the report says.

Brazil and France Meet the podium

Brazil ranks after Argentina with $4 billion worth of Tuesday and an untapped $1.4 billion potential.

The third country holds France at $3.8 billion and an additional $1.2 billion trade opportunity.

These three nationals continue to be among the most powerful brands of world football, thanks to the history, trophy, and stars they represent.

Spain - The Best Investment

The fourth place is Spain, worth $3.2 billion.

The report named the Spanish national team the best ratio between cost and potential throughout the tournament.

“Spain has the most valuable generation of European football, is Europe's champion, and sponsorisation costs remain about 23 per cent lower than those of nationals with similar estimates”, the analysis noted.

South Korea Surprises

One of our ranking surprises is South Korea.

According to the index, it is positioned in 19th, seven positions higher than its FIFA ranking.

This increase is attributed mainly to the global popularity of Captain Son Heung and the international influence he has built over the years.

U.S. with the greatest potential

The report estimates that the United States, one of the World Organising Countries 2026, has the largest potential for commercial growth.

According to analysis, the American national has still a commercial opportunity of about $2.1 billion that has not been exploited.

This shows that football continues to expand rapidly on the American market and that the economic potential of sports remains very large.

Depends on the Stars

Another interesting aspect of the report is the dependence of some nationals on a single player.

The most obvious example is Egypt, where Mohammed Salah represents about 74 percent of the total value of the national brand.

This indicates that in some cases a footballer's influence may be almost as large as that of the team itself.

Football as a Global Industry

Natalia Nathreet, founder of “Your Brand Value Sports”, believes modern football is no longer just a sports contest.

Today, the nationals don't compete just to win matches. They compete to create global influence, attract sponsors, and build increasingly valuable brands. Football has become part of the attention economy”, she said.

According to the report, Argentina may not yet have won the 2026 World Cup, but when it comes to brand value and global influence, it is currently the tournament champion.