A comparison of the squad values of the last four teams left in the 2022 World Cup really signifies how well Morocco have done to reach the semi-finals.
The African side became the first country from the continent to ever reach the semi-final stage of a World Cup when they beat Portugal on Saturday. Morocco have also kept a clean sheet in all but one match at Qatar 2022 – another impressive stat.
They have become the tournament’s incredible overachievers, the feel-good, underdog story of this World Cup. And, statistically, Morocco are definitely punching above their weight.
According to valuations from Transfermarkt, Morocco has the lowest squad value of all the sides left in the World Cup. Theirs currently stands at €241 million – but will surely rise. After some impressive performances from their stars, some Moroccan players’ prices will likely soar.
Morocco also have the 23rd most expensive national team squad in the world. The next lowest in the semi-finals, Croatia, sit twelfth on this list.
But the African side’s run to the semi-finals was littered with nations that had some premium-price teams.
Squad values show off World Cup giant killers Morocco
In the group stage, the Atlas Lions played against Croatia, Belgium, and Canada. Here, Morocco had the third most valuable team, as Transfermarkt lists Canada (€187 million) slightly lower.
Despite this, Morocco still managed to pull off an “upset” against a team with more expensive players. When they defeated Belgium (€555 million) 2-0, they overcame a squad that was more than double their team value. Additionally, Morocco drew 0-0 with fellow semi-finalists Croatia in the groups.
In the round of 16, Morocco sensationally knocked out Spain on penalties. In doing so, they defeated a team with a squad value of €877 million – the fifth highest at the World Cup.
The Atlas Lions then followed this up with a 1-0 win over Portugal in the quarterfinals. Cristiano Ronaldo and co. had a combined transfer value of €865 million. Therefore, Morocco’s victory was another upset in terms of value disparity.
Can Morocco continue this in the semis, though, where they face extremely pricey opposition?
The semi-finalists’ team values
Leading the way is Morocco’s opponent in the semis, France. They are the third most expensive national squad in the world, at €997 million. Les Bleus are just shy of a billion in valuation, whereas the top two – Brazil and England – both surpass that mark.
A whopping €160 million of France’s squad value is down to Kylian Mbappe. The PSG star is also the most expensive player in the tournament. By comparison, their next most expensive player, Aurelien Tchouameni, is half Mbappe’s price.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi and Argentina have the second-highest squad value left in the World Cup. However, their captain does not command the highest fee, per Transfermarkt. He is Argentina’s third-most valuable player, behind Lautaro Martinez and Cristian Romero.
Finally, beating Morocco into third place are Croatia. Their value is a bit higher than the African side’s, at €377 million. Croatia, therefore, have also overcome some more expensive teams on their way to the last four.
We will see if the underdogs can pull off another upset during the semi-finals in the next few days.
Featured image credit: Getty