No pressure, lads – England have been named the most valuable squad of players at the 2026 World Cup, according to leading football academics.

Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man group, featuring stars such as Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, is valued at €1.454bn (£1.254bn) by the CIES Football Observatory, an independent research centre used by Fifa and top clubs.

That is marginally ahead of the two favourites, 2022 runners-up France and current European champions Spain, to win the tournament which starts on Thursday in Mexico.

France’s squad is worth €1.436bn (£1.238bn), according to CIES, while Spain’s players are valued at a total of €1.407bn (£1.213bn). 

England’s position at the top of the pile comes despite Tuchel controversially leaving several big-name players, including Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, out of his World Cup team. 

They are due to begin their quest to win the title for the first time since 1966 on Wednesday next week when they face Group L rivals Croatia in Dallas.

Scotland 31st of 48 World Cup teams for squad value

Germany have the only other squad valued at more than €1bn and are followed in the pecking order by Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil and Argentina.

Scotland are ranked 31st of the 48 teams at the biggest ever men’s World Cup, with a valuation of just €158m (£136m). Iran are bottom on €12m. 

The valuations are based on a complex statistical model that takes into account factors including performance, age, previous transfer fees, contract length, club and position.

Spain and Barcelona star Lamine Yamal is rated by far the most valuable player at the World Cup, with an estimated transfer price of €358m (£309m).

Norway and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is second, at €227m (£196m), followed by France pair Kylian Mbappe (€166m/£143m) and Michael Olise €141m (£121m).

Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers is the England player with the highest estimated transfer value, of €137m (£118m).