The cost per point value of every World Cup team as group stages finish
The group stages of the 2026 World Cup are done, which gives us a chance to see who had the best value for money when it comes to their squad.
While national teams are spared having to fork out transfer fees, teams can still be judged by how much they made of their expensive, or not so expensive, squads.
We’ve taken the squad values that we published earlier this tournament and compared them to the points each team scored in the group stages, giving us a value per point scale and a chance to see who made the most of it.
Portugal top the list with £202 million per the five points they earned in Group K. Colombia, who topped that group, punched much more above their weight with a value of £43.2 million per point.
Surprisingly in third place is Czechia who did not make the most of their €188.2 million squad value as they scored just one point in Group A.
Another disappointing side was Uruguay who scored just two points in a group that included Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia. That, compared to their squad value of €359.3 million, equates to a value per point of £174.3 million, the third most expensive.
READ: 14 transfers you may have missed during the World Cup group stage
Scotland have been one of the biggest disappointments of the tournament with a single goal separating them from going pointless. That 1-0 win against Haiti has saved them from total embarrassment but those three points did come at £170.3 million per point.
At the other end of the table, Iran were the best value for money to be found with £10.7 million per point. Even with the logistical and political difficulties facing them, the team managed three points and were very close to reaching the knockouts.
South Africa, who have made it through, did so with a value of £12.3 million per point.
Cape Verde have been one of the feel-good stories of the tournament and that can be summed up by the £16.4 million they needed per point. That was enough for second in Group H as they dumped Uruguay out.
The best-valued European team is Switzerland at £47.5 million per point. They topped Group B ahead of hosts Canada.
1. Portugal – £202 million
2. England – £194.3 million
3. Czechia – £188.2 million
4. Uruguay – £179.7 million
5. Spain – £174.3 million
6. Scotland – £170.3 million
7. France – £168.9 million
8. Senegal – £159.4 million
9. Turkey – £157.9 million
10. Germany – £157.8 million
11. Brazil – £132.6 million
12. Belgium – £109.5 million
13. Netherlands – £107.7 million
14. Sweden – £101.5 million
15. Norway – £98.3 million
16. Ecuador – £92.2 million
17. Argentina – £89.7 million
18. Ivory Coast – £87 million
19. Canada – £66.2 million
20. Croatia – £64.6 million
21. United States – £64.3 million
22. Algeria – £64.2 million
23. Morocco – £64 million
24. Austria – £61.3 million
25. Ghana – £58.6 million
26. Japan – £54.2 million
27. Bosnia & Herzegovina – £48.8 million
28. Switzerland – £47.5 million
29. South Korea – £46.4 million
30. Colombia – £43.2 million
31. Paraguay – £38.4 million
32. DR Congo – £36 million
33. New Zealand – £34.5 million
34. Curacao – £25.8 million
35. Egypt – £23.3 million
36. Mexico – £21.3 million
37. Saudi Arabia – £20.3 million
38. Qatar – £19.9 million
39. Australia – £19.4 million
40. Cape Verde – £16.4 million
41. South Africa – £12.3 million
42. Iran – £10.7 million
Haiti, Iraq, Jordan, Panama, Tunisia and Uzbekistan did not score a point
READ NEXT: Every goal of Lionel Messi’s record-breaking run of SEVEN consecutive World Cup matches
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every club with 10+ players at the 2026 World Cup?