Most expensive XIs ever for ten of the top nations

Matt Stead

Argentina

GK: Willy Caballero (Malaga to Manchester City, £6m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

RB: Pablo Zabaleta (Espanyol to Manchester City, £6.4m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CB: Nicolas Otamendi (Valencia to Manchester City, £32m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

CB: Ezequiel Garay (Zenit to Valencia, £17m) – In the World Cup squad? No

LB: Marcos Rojo (Sporting to Manchester United, £16m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

RW: Angel di Maria (Real Madrid to Manchester United, £59.7m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

CM: Juan Sebastian Veron (Lazio to Manchester United, £28.1m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CM: Javier Pastore (Palermo to Paris Saint-Germain, £37m) – In the World Cup squad? No

LW: Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli to PSG, £21.2m) – In the World Cup squad? No

ST: Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli to Juventus, £75.3m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

ST: Hernan Crespo (Parma to Lazio, £36m) – In the World Cup squad? No

TOTAL: £334.7m

 

Belgium

GK: Simon Mignolet (Sunderland to Liverpool, £9m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

RB: Thomas Meunier (Club Brugge to PSG, £5.8m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

CB: Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal to Barcelona, £15m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

CB: Toby Alderweireld (Atletico Madrid to Tottenham, £11.4m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

LB: Jordan Lukaku (Oostende to Lazio, £3.3m) – In the World Cup squad? No

RW: Kevin Mirallas (Olympiakos to Everton, £6m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CM: Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg to Manchester City, £55m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

CM: Axel Witsel (Benfica to Zenit St Petersburg, £32m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

LW: Eden Hazard (Lille to Chelsea, £32m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

ST: Romelu Lukaku (Everton to Manchester United, £75m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

ST: Michy Batshuayi (Marseille to Chelsea, £33m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

TOTAL: £277.5m

 

Brazil

GK: Ederson (Benfica to Manchester City, £34.9m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

RB: Danilo (Real Madrid to Manchester City, £26.5m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

CB: David Luiz (Chelsea to PSG, £50m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CB: Thiago Silva (AC Milan to PSG, £33.2m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

LB: Alex Sandro (Porto to Juventus, £19.1m) – In the World Cup squad? No

RW: Hulk (Zenit to Shanghai SIPG, £46.1m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CM: Oscar (Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG, £60m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CM: Kaka (Milan to Real Madrid, £56m) – In the World Cup squad? No

LW: Neymar (Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, £200m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

AM: Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool to Barcelona, £106m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

ST: Robinho (Real Madrid to Manchester City, £32.5m) – In the World Cup squad? No

TOTAL: £664.3m

 

England

GK: Jordan Pickford (Sunderland to Everton, £25m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

RB: Kyle Walker (Tottenham to Manchester City, £45m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

CB: John Stones (Everton to Manchester City, £47.5m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

CB: Rio Ferdinand (Leeds to Manchester United, £30m) – In the World Cup squad? No

LB: Luke Shaw (Southampton to Manchester United, £27m) – In the World Cup squad? No

RW: David Beckham (Manchester United to Real Madrid, £24.5m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CM: Danny Drinkwater (Leicester to Chelsea, £35m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CM: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal to Liverpool, £35m) – In the World Cup squad? No

LW: Raheem Sterling (Liverpool to Manchester City, £44m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

ST: Andy Carroll (Newcastle to Liverpool, £35m) – In the World Cup squad? No

ST: Wayne Rooney (Everton to Manchester United, £27m) – In the World Cup squad? No

TOTAL: £375m

 

France

GK: Sebastien Frey (Inter Milan to Parma, £12.4m) – In the World Cup squad? No

RB: Nordi Mukiele (Montpellier to RB Leipzig, £14m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CB: Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao to Manchester City, £57m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CB: Eliaquim Mangala (Porto to Manchester City, £42m) – In the World Cup squad? No

LB: Benjamin Mendy (Monaco to Manchester City, £52m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

RM: Ousmane Dembele (Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona, £96.8m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

CM: Paul Pogba (Juventus to Manchester United, £89.3m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

CM: Zinedine Zidane (Juventus to Real Madrid, £48m) – In the World Cup squad? No

LM: Dimitri Payet (West Ham to Marseille, £25m) – In the World Cup squad? No

ST: Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon to Arsenal, £46.5m) – In the World Cup squad? No

ST: Kylian Mbappe (Monaco to PSG, £166m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

TOTAL: £649m

 

Germany

GK: Manuel Neuer (Schalke to Bayern Munich, £19m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

RB: Christian Trasch (Stuttgart to Wolfsburg, £8.8m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CB: Shkodran Mustafi (Valencia to Arsenal, £35m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CB: Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich, £31.5m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

LB: Marcell Jansen (Borussia Monchengladbach to Bayern Munich, £6.7m) – In the World Cup squad? No

RW: Savio Nsereko (Brescia to West Ham, £9m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CM: Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid to Arsenal, £42.4m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

CM: Mario Gotze (Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich, £31.5m) – In the World Cup squad? No

LW: Leroy Sane (Schalke to Manchester City, £37m) – In the World Cup squad? No

ST: Mario Gomez (Stuttgart to Bayern Munich, £26.5m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

ST: Kevin Volland (Hoffenheim to Bayer Leverkusen, £13.6m) – In the World Cup squad? No

TOTAL: £261m

 

Italy

GK: Gianluigi Buffon (Parma to Juventus, £33m)

RB: Davide Zappacosta (Torino to Chelsea, £23m)

CB: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus to Milan, £35.1m)

CB: Alessio Romagnoli (Roma to Milan, £21.2m)

LB: Emerson Palmieri (Roma to Chelsea, £17.6m)

RW: Federico Bernadeschi (Fiorentina to Juventus, £35m)

CM: Stefano Fiore (Udinese to Lazio, £21.2m)

CM: Alberto Aquilani (Roma to Liverpool, £20m)

LW: Stephan El Shaarawy (Genoa to Milan, £17.6m)

ST: Christian Vieri (Lazio to Inter Milan, £32m)

ST: Mario Balotelli (Inter Milan to Manchester City, £24m)

TOTAL: £279.7m

 

Netherlands

GK: Jasper Cillessen (Ajax to Barcelona, £11m)

RB: Rick Karsdorp (Feyenoord to Roma, £12.2m)

CB: Nathan Ake (Chelsea to Bournemouth, £20m)

CB: Virgil van Dijk (Southampton to Liverpool, £75m)

LB: Daley Blind (Ajax to Manchester United, £13.8m)

RW: Arjen Robben (Chelsea to Real Madrid, £23.6m)

CM: Georginio Wijnaldum (Newcastle to Liverpool, £25m)

CM: Davy Klaassen (Ajax to Everton, £23.6m)

LW: Marc Overmars (Arsenal to Barcelona, £25m)

ST: Robin van Persie (Arsenal to Manchester United, £24m)

ST: Ruud van Nistelrooy (PSV to Manchester United, £19m)

TOTAL: £272.2m

 

Portugal

GK: Vitor Baia (Porto to Barcelona, £5.5m) – In the World Cup squad? No

RB: Nelson Semedo (Benfica to Barcelona £26.2m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CB: Ricardo Carvalho (Porto to Chelsea, £19.85m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CB: Pepe (Porto to Real Madrid, £20.3m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

LB: Fabio Coentrao (Benfica to Real Madrid, £26.9m) – In the World Cup squad? No

RW: Bernardo Silva (Monaco to Manchester City, £43m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

CM: Manuel Rui Costa (Fiorentina to Milan, £30m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CM: Joao Mario (Sporting to Inter Milan, £38.4m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

LW: Goncaldo Guedes (Benfica to PSG, £25.5m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

ST: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United to Real Madrid, £80m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

ST: Andre Silva (Porto to Milan, £33.6m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

TOTAL: £349.25m

 

Spain

GK: David de Gea (Atletico Madrid to Manchester United, £18.9m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

RB: Aleix Vidal (Sevilla to Barcelona, £16m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CB: Javi Martinez (Athletic Bilbao to Bayern Munich, £31.6m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CB: Inigo Martinez (Real Sociedad to Athletic Bilbao, £28m) – In the World Cup squad? No

LB: Marcos Alonso (Fiorentina to Chelsea, £24m) – In the World Cup squad? No

RW: Vitolo (Sevilla to Atletico Madrid, £33m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CM: Juan Mata (Chelsea to Manchester United, £37.1m) – In the World Cup squad? No

CM: Xabi Alonso (Liverpool to Real Madrid, £30m) – In the World Cup squad? No

LW: David Silva (Valencia to Manchester City, £24m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

ST: Alvaro Morata (Real Madrid to Chelsea, £57m) – In the World Cup squad? No

ST: Diego Costa (Chelsea to Atletico Madrid, £57m) – In the World Cup squad? Yes

TOTAL: £352.6m