World Cup player value tracker: Ayyoub Bouaddi climbs above below-par Bradley Barcola as Elliot Anderson turns a corner & Enzo Fernandez shows Real Madrid what he's made of

Excitement is growing as we move through the knockout stages at the 2026 World Cup and, throughout the showpiece tournament in North America, GOAL, in association with eToro, is tracking the value of some of the world's most sought-after talents. Will their price rise or plummet? Follow our unique player value tracker to find out...

Crysencio Summerville | West Ham & Netherlands | £40m

It's shaping up to be a

Manchester United have been most strongly linked

He began his tournament by cutting in and scoring with a clever left-footed strike in the Group F opener against Japan, following that up with another long-range strike in the 5-1 demolition of Sweden. That saw Ronald Koeman hand the 24-year-old a start in the last 32, with an energetic display seeing him claim an assist before his penalty in the shootout - that was certainly not the worst we've seen at this tournament - was expertly kept out by Yassine Bounou to help send Morocco through.

Player value before World Cup started:

Deniz Undav | VfB Stuttgart & Germany | £40m

Rewind three years and Deniz Undav was at something of a career crossroads. The forward was scratching around for minutes at Brighton, playing second fiddle to the likes ofEvan Fergusonn andDanny Welbeckk. A drastic change was clearly needed. That came in the form of an initial loan move to VfB Stuttgart - a deal that was eventually made permanent in 2024 - and he hasn't looked back since.

With 19 goals, Undav finished the 2025-26 campaign as the top-scoring German in the Bundesliga, behind only the relentlessHarry Kanee in the overall standings. And despite being overlooked for the starting XI in all three of Germany's group games at the World Cup,

Those contributions, and a lack of cutting edge shown by those picked to start in the 2-1 loss to Ecuador, saw Julian Nagelsmann finally reward Undav with a start. Unfortunately for the 29-year-old it proved to be his worst showing of the tournament in the shock penalty shoot-out loss to Paraguay, with Undav struggling to get in the game before being hooked in the 63rd minute. Still, unlike many of his team-mates, his reputation has undoubtedly been boosted by his three group-stage goals, and kudos must go to Stuttgart for getting a new contract signed and sorted before the World Cup kicked off.

Player value before World Cup started:

Nico Paz | Como & Argentina | £60m

The name Nico Paz may not be too familiar with the casual football fan, but that should change in the summer. The Como midfielder, let go by Real Madrid in 2024, has been making waves under Cesc Fabregas' stewardship in Serie A, playing a vital role in a 2025-26 season that saw him plunder 12 goals - more than any other midfielder in Italy's top flight - to help the club securChampions Leagueue qualification.

You don't occupy an attacking spot alongsidLionel Messisi in Argentina's squad if you've not got something about you, and that's exactly where Paz finds himself at the World Cup. His biggest moment in the famous Albiceleste shirt so far came in March, when he

Away from North America, it's been confirmed that Paz will continue at Como after Madrid triggered a €9m buyback clause and

Player value before World Cup started:

Bradley Barcola | Paris Saint-Germain & France | £62.5m

It seems unthinkable that PSG could contemplate selling one of the most talented forward players to have emerged from France in recent years but that's the situation the Ligue 1 champions find themselves in with Bradley Barcola. The 23-year-old is simply too good to be regularly sat on the bench and, with Khvicha KvaratskheliDesire Doueoue aOusmane Dembeleele being the three pillars of Luis Enrique's attack, that's where he found himself for the matches that really mattered in the 2025-26 campaign.

There will be no shortage of suitors desperate to snap him up if there's an indication that a deal can be done,

The more the tournament has gone on, the more, it would seem, Deschamps had decided picked Barcola was his main man on the left of the attack. Indeed, he has started Les Blues' last two games in a row, where his

Player value before World Cup started:

Ayyoub Bouaddi | Lille & Morocco | £65m

Not many players are capable of running the show against Brazil, less so when they're only 18 years of age and only had three full international caps to their name. That's exactly what Ayyoub Bouaddi achieved with his first-class performance in Morocco's World Cup Group C opener, however, dominating against a vastly experienced Selecao midfield and undoubtedly alerting the attention of all of Europe's top clubs.

In truth, Bouaddi had already been on the radar of football's elite long before his elegant outing at MetLife Stadium, with the Lille midfielder having caught the eye with his mature displays in Ligue 1 over the last 12 months. His performance in game two - a narrow 1-0 win over Scotland - may not have been as headline-grabbing but he was neat and tidy in possession all the same, snapping into tackles to stop the Scots building momentum. Fit and raring to go after being rested for Morocco's 4-2 triumph over Haiti in their final group game, Bouaddi stood out in the last 32 triumph win over Netherlands, looking assured as he frequently carried the ball forward while also screening the back four on the road to a dramatic penalty shoot-out win.

The likes of Arsenal, Real Madrid and Manchester City have been most strongly linked, and, after helping Morocco advance to the quarter-final, it's going to be intriguing to see how Bouaddi fares when he comes up against the likesMichael Oliselise Kylian Mbappeappe - without doubt the biggest examination of his talents to date.

Player value before World Cup started:

Morgan Rogers | Aston Villa & England | £82.5m

Thomas Tuchel had a monumental decision to make ahead of the World Cup - did he start with Morgan RogerJude Bellinghamngham? It was one of the biggest selection dilemmas that the Three Lions boss faced going into the tournament, with the Real Madrid midfielder having been given the nod from the start up to now, and having produced monster performances to back-up his manager's faith.

So what does that say about Rogers' prospects? Such has been his consistency in helping to propel Aston Villa into the Champions League for consecutive seasons, as well as playing a major role in them winning the Europa League, he has every reason to be disappointed at being overlooked for the XI. Fortunately for Tuchel, however, Rogers isn't one to sulk or kick up a fuss if things aren't going his way, and he'll likely still have a part to play as England look to progress through the knockout stages.

Introduced as a second-half substitute in England's first two Group L matches, Rogers,

Player value before World Cup started:

Enzo Fernandez | Chelsea & Argentina | £90m

One of the main storylines of the summer transfer window will undoubtedly revolve aEnzod Enzo Fernandez and whether he leaves Stamford Bridge. The midfielder, who arrived for an eyewatering £106.8m back in 2023, has been one of few bright sparks of what's been a testing few years in west London, amid frequent managerial change.

Xabi Alonso's the latest man in the hotseat

The first game of his tournament saw him produce a steady, if unspectacular, display in the 3-0 win over Algeria - a result headlined by Lionel Messi's stunning hat-trick. He followed that up with an energetic outing in the 2-0 triumph over Austria - another Messi show in North America - and it was Enzo's pass that led to the penalty incident thaLautaro Martinezrtinez hacked down in the box inside the first 10 minutes. After

Player value before World Cup started:

Yan Diomande | RB Leipzig & Ivory Coast | £90m

Yan Diomande's name has dominated the transfer gossip columns for a while now, and it's not difficult to see why. The Ivorian forward has put a clutch of Europe's top clubs on alert with his electric showings in the Bundesliga, and it would be a surprise if he didn't follow the likes of Benjamin Josko GvardiolvardiDominik Szoboszlaiboszlai in seeking a headline-grabbing move away from RB Leipzig before too long.

The supremely gifted 19-year-old has been further showcasing his talents to prospective suitors at the World Cup, with Diomande arguably the best player on the pitch in Ivory Coast's 1-0 win over Ecuador before he made a decisive contribution in the second group game against Germany, bJoshua KimmichKimmich down the line and smashing the ball across toFranck Kessie Kessie to score in the narrow 2-1 loss. After bagging an assist in the 2-0 win over Curacao as well, Diomande's group-stage performances would have his name up in lights as he became the first player this century to complete 10+ dribbles, and create 10+ chances, across his first three World Cup matches.

Sadly for Diomande and Ivory Coast, the journey came to an end with a crushing late loss to an Erling Haaland-inspired Norway, but that won't take away from the fact the winger has boosted his reputation, and transfer value, in North America, with it looking like a fee in the region of £100m is going to be needed to prize him away from RB Leipzig, with

Player value before World Cup started:

Elliot Anderson | Nottingham Forest & England | £100m

Elliot Anderson's trajectory has hit stratospheric levels over the last two years. The

The fee Enzo Maresca's side have paid is in the region of £116m - smashing the British transfer record

In fairness, we're likely to see Anderson's true value to England's cause shine through when they're up against stronger opposition, where his tireless running and ability to regain possession will be crucial against teams who dominate the ball and refuse to just sit back and defend in a low block. After another below-par outing in the narrow last-32 victory over DR Congo, however,

Player value before World Cup started:

Julian Alvarez | Atletico Madrid & Argentina | £102.5m

Pep Guardiola rarely gets it wrong in the transfer market, although in the case of Julian Alvarez he may wish he could turn back the clock. To be fair, back when Manchester City let him go in 2024, Alvarez wasn't quite the scintillating, game-winning asset that he is today, and the Premier League side did receive a tidy profit after recouping £85m from Atletico Madrid. Still, nobody at the Etihad will be the slightest bit amused if the Argentine rocks up at Arsenal next season and puts his old team-mates to the sword. Stranger things have happened.

The Gunners, it has been widely reported,

Indeed, heading into the tournament carrying an ankle injury, Lionel Scaloni has used Alvarez cautiously, with the 26-year-old having only come off the bench in Argentina's first two group games before he put in a disappointing display from the start against Jordan. Indeed, it was back to the bench again for the in-demand Atleti forward for the first knockout round of the tournament, and his best work was done defensively against Cape Verde, as he was brought on just after the hour mark with Argentina struggling to put their minnow opponents to bed. It wouldn't be a stretch to say Alvarez has struggled to get going in North America, and after another

Player value before World Cup started:

Michael Olise | Bayern Munich & France | £145m

Bayern Munich landed themselves a gem when they managed to pluck Michael Olise from the Premier League in a deal worth around £50m back in the summer of 2024. Looking back now, it's fair to say the Bavarians won the transfer window with that coup, with the France international having gone on to light up the Bundesliga and Champions League with his supreme performances over the last couple of years.

Didier Deschamps hasn't been blind to his progress either, with Olise forming part of a frightening Les Bleus attack at the World Cup. If anyone even dares to test Bayern's resolve with a bid for the former Crystal Palace winger in the summer, they're looking at truly monster numbers for the Bundesliga champions to even contemplate a sale. To that end, the latest rumours from the Spanish press suggest that Real Madrid are

And those sort of numbers don't seem so crazy when you assess how well Olise has performed at what is his first World Cup. Starting with the 3-1 win over Senegal, the former Reading winger provided the gorgeous assist for Kylian Mbappe's opener before Olise would then combine with the Real Madrid forward, and Ousmane Dembele, in game two to help dismantle Iraq. After a rare off-day in the 4-1 win over Norway, Olise would go on to claim assist number four, and then five, in the commanding 3-0 hammering of Sweden in the last 32, producing another masterclass of a performance that

Player value before World Cup started:

Lamine Yamal | Barcelona & Spain | £207.5m

There's surely no one in football that has a higher value than Lamine Yamal. At just 18, the Barcelona sensation has arguably proved he's already the best player in the world, and all eyes will be on him as he carries the hopes of a nation at the World Cup. After a second-half cameo off the bench against Cape Verde - a precautionary move given Yamal had come into the tournament carrying an injury - the Barca forward exploded into life in his first start in North America, a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia, sliding home at the far post Mikel Oyarzabal'sOyarzabal's cross.

It is, in truth, what we've come to expect with Yamal, where he'll be negatively judged if he's not providing those blockbuster moments on a regular basis. Indeed, after an

Yamal is clearly desperate to produce a truly memorable moment in this tournament, that much is obvious, but it wasn't to be the last-16 tie against Portugal. Mikel Merinoikel Merino played hero in that one

Player value before World Cup started: