The most valuable player in every Copa America 2024 squad: Vinicius, Pulisic, Valverde…
The 2024 Copa America is underway over in the United States and the tournament is packed full of superstars from some of world football’s biggest clubs – with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester United all represented.
Some of football’s biggest names are hoping to cap off excellent seasons with their clubs by leading their national teams to glory this summer.
Using figures provided by Transfermakt, we’ve found the most valuable player in every squad at the 2024 Copa America.
Argentina – Lautaro Martinez (€110m)
Enzo Fernandez might be the Premier League’s record signing and most expensive Argentinian in history but it’s Inter striker Lautaro Martinez who is currently valued as the holders’ MVP.
The 26-year-old comes into the tournament off the back of the season of his life, having won the Capocannoniere award for Serie A’s top scorer after his starring role in Inter’s Scudetto triumph.
In an inverse of the World Cup, Martinez has started the tournament making do with a place on the bench. But he came on, linked up well with Messi, and scored – giving Lionel Scaloni something to think about.
If he can continue his goalscoring exploits to fire La Albiceleste to Copa America glory, a late push for Ballon d’Or contention might not be completely out of the question.
READ: 2024 Ballon d’Or power rankings: Vini Jr & Bellingham lead the way after Madrid’s UCL win…
Peru – Luis Abram (€3m)
Peru made the play-offs for the last World Cup at the expense of more fancied nations like Chile and Colombia, but it was no great shock when they lost on penalties to Australia given their conspicuous lack of star power.
Eighteen months on and the squad that Jorge Fossetti’s squad isn’t glittering with well-known names, with a core of domestic-based players and a smattering of others at an eclectic mix of clubs across the world.
That leaves their most valuable player rated at just €3million – Atlanta United defender Luis Abram. He recently featured in a 3-1 MLS victory over Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and will be hoping to repeat the trick on the international stage.
Chile – Guillermo Maripan (€10m)
There are plenty of recognisable names in Chile’s squad, given they still lean on the golden generation that won back-to-back Copa America almost a decade ago.
But the likes of Claudio Bravo, Mauricio Isla, Alexis Sanchez, Eduardo Vargas are getting on (just a bit) and have lost their market value in their advancing years.
With a notable lack of young blood emerging, 30-year-old Monaco centre-back Maripan edges out Villarreal’s Ben Brereton Diaz as La Roja’s MVP.
Canada – Alphonso Davies (€50m)
No surprises here.
Canada’s talisman continues to be linked with a move from Bayern Munich to Real Madrid, but there are also suggestions he could tie down his future at the Allianz Arena with a new deal.
Watch this space. He’s approaching the final year of his current contract but we’d be amazed if it took less than €50million for him to move to the Bernabeu.
Mexico – Santiago Gimenez (€40m)
Manchester United have recently been linked with West Ham midfielder Edson Alvarez in the event that Casemiro leaves this summer (a player that Erik ten Hag’s worked with before? Never) but it’s Feyenoord’s Santiago Gimenez that’s valued as the most valuable player in Mexico’s squad.
The 23-year-old striker scored 23 goals in 30 Eredivisie appearances last season and this Copa America could be a major breakthrough tournament for the rising star. One to watch.
READ NEXT: The 4 players at Copa America 2024 born after Lionel Messi made his Argentina debut
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every host city at the 2024 Copa America?
Ecuador – Moises Caicedo (€75m)
Fernandez might have lost a bit of value since his big-money move to Chelsea, but midfield partner Caicedo is Ecuador’s highest-valued star. A contract at Stamford Bridge that runs until 2031(!) will do that.
The tough-tackling midfielder is key to Ecuador’s hopes of going far.
Venezuela – Yangel Herrera (€25m)
Herrera’s career path to date is a thoroughly modern story. He caught the eyes of City Football Group’s scouts at boyhood club Atletico Venezuela, signed for Manchester City and was frequently loaned out before being sold to sister club Girona last summer.
The midfielder was outstanding last season as Girona punched well above their weight to finish in La Liga’s top four and qualify for the Champions League.
Jamaica – Leon Bailey (€42m)
Jamaica’s squad is stacked full of talent from their diaspora, with a number of players that came up through English academies – including Ethan Pinnock, Demarai Gray, Michael Antonio, Bobby Decordova-Reid and Kacey Palmer.
But the most valuable player in their squad was very much homegrown, born and raised in Kingston, coming up through the Phoenix All Stars Academy before moving to Europe.
Nowadays he’s tearing it up in the Premier League and will be turning out in the Champions League with Unai Emery’s Aston Villa next season.
USA – Christian Pulisic (€40m)
The United States are arguably producing more footballing talent than ever before, with internationals increasingly playing their stuff in Europe’s major leagues.
But there’s still no questioning their leading light.
QUIZ: Can you name every team to win the Copa America?
Uruguay – Federico Valverde (€120m)
With Marcelo Bielsa at the helm and Darwin Nunez leading the line, Uruguay are appointment viewing this summer. They’ve produced some sensational results and performances in recent World Cup qualifiers and have the genuine potential to go all the way to lifting the trophy.
There’s a sense that energetic midfield maestro Federico Valverde goes a little under the radar in comparison to some of his superstar team-mates, but he’s certainly not undervalued by Transfermarkt at €120million.
The 26-year-old has tied down his future at the Bernabeu through to 2020 and is very much a bedrock of their glittering future.
Panama – Adalberto Carrasquilla (€4.5m)
Panama have done well to qualify for the Copa America, given their lack of recognisable names.
Regular MLS viewers might know big-haired midfielder Carrasquilla, who plies his trade for Houston Dynamo.
Bolivia – Roberto Fernandez (€1m)
Bolivia have won one and lost five of their CONMEBOL qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. It would be a major shock if they make it out of a group that features Uruguay and the United States.
Their most valuable player is a left-back that turns out for Russian Premier League side Baltika Kaliningrad.
Brazil – Vinicius Junior (€180m)
The current frontrunner for this year’s Ballon d’Or, once again so lethal in the latter knockout stages of the Champions League, is valued by Transfermarkt as the joint most valuable player in world football alongside Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
No quibbles here.
READ: The 10 highest paid players at Copa America 2024: Lionel Messi 6th…
Colombia – Luis Diaz (€75m)
It’s long been rumoured that Barcelona are interested in the Liverpool, but nothing about the La Liga club suggests they’re suddenly going to find €75million down the back of the sofa to fund a move for the Colombian.
Diaz is one of the star names that will definitely be worth keeping an eye out for at this Copa America. He scored both goals as Colombia beat Brazil 2-1 back in November and will be hoping to make a similar kind of impact at a major tournament.
Paraguay – Julio Enciso (€22m)
Beating his compatriot and fellow Premier League forward Miguel Almiron to the status of the most valuable player in Brighton’s squad, Enciso demonstrated his immense potential by scoring the Premier League’s Goal of the Season in his breakthrough 2021-22 campaign.
He’s still just 20 but failed to score a league goal for the Seagulls last term, a disappointing campaign in which he struggled badly with injuries. He’ll be looking at this summer’s tournament as an opportunity to put it behind him and kick on.
One thing’s for sure – you imagine it’d take considerably more than €22million to prise him away from Brighton.
Costa Rica – Manfred Ugalde (€7.5m)
Who? Let us educate you with some not-at-all hastily cribbed-together Wikipedia research.
Ugalde signed for Spartak Moscow earlier this year after a so-so stint with FC Twente. The striker has just one goal in 16 appearances for the Russian club.
Costa Rica’s dreams of causing an upset this summer largely rest on the 22-year-old finding his shooting boots.