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Brazil, the South American nation, has given the world of football so many valuable players. From the days of the legendary Pele on to the very recent Neymar, the country has been home to some of the greatest in world football.
And why not? Brazil boasts of having won a record five World Cup titles. Though their last win in the competition came way back in 2002, they are always just a few wins away from hitting their prime. The gold medal they won in the recently-concluded Tokyo Olympics is proof of how good they are in the trades of the game.
This often results in big European clubs digging deep inside the country to seek out their next star player. Often the players that are found are not polished gems, who after a lot of nurturing go on to become the club's next most valuable player.
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Neymar's journey to become one of Brazil's most valuable players
If you take the case of Neymar, the 29-year-old was still relatively new to the European football scene when he was snapped up by Barcelona from Santos in 2013.
After much controversy surrounding the deal, it was revealed that Barcelona had spent less than €19.3m to take him to Spain from Brazil with another €40m being put down as salary.
There is no doubting that when Neymar left Barcelona in 2017, joining Paris Saint-Germain, he had already become a superstar and one of the most valuable players coming from Brazil.
There are a few others who fall into the category of being the most valuable Brazilian players in the world right now. We'll now take a look at the list of the top five in that category:
#5 Fabinho - €60m
Liverpool's Brazilian midfielder features fifth on the list of the world's most valuable Brazilian players. Fabinho's role in all of Liverpool's most important games can hardly be ignored.
The Brazilian provides balance to the Reds and has thrived at the base of a three-man midfield under Jurgen Klopp. He gives Liverpool protection in midfield against an attacker capable of moving inside with possession.
What adds to Fabinho's advantage is his visionary skills. He recognizes situations when his team-mates require him as a cover while they go challenging a particular player.
When Liverpool snapped him up from Monaco in 2018, his market value was around €45m which over the course of the last three seasons has significantly increased. Currently, Fabinho is one of the most valuable Brazilian players Liverpool have in their squad.
#4 Alisson - €60m
The fourth on the list of Brazil's most valuable players is also from the Merseyside club. Who can forget his decisive header against West Brom last season? One that helped Liverpool finish in the top three and thus automatically qualify for Europe.
Standing at 6 feet 4 inches, Alisson is one of the tallest goalkeepers in the league. Aside from having excellent reflexes and good shot stopping skills, the 28-year-old is also a calming influence on the Reds' back-line.
While aerial dominance is one area where the Brazil international has room for improvement, he is excellent at reading situations. He anticipates risks and knows when to come out and when to stay put.
With stalwarts like Virgil van Dijk absent in front of him last season, the 28-year-old played a crucial role in keeping the overall number of goals conceded down to 42.
This year, though, his game could improve even further in the presence of a returning Van Dijk. If that's the case, Alisson's stock could rise even further in the market.
#3 Casemiro - €70m
Since his move from Brazil, Casemiro has been a constant presence at the heart of Real Madrid's midfield. Despite him not being one of the biggest names on the teamsheet, his importance can hardly be ignored.
He stands as a brickwall in front of Real Madrid's backline and is not afraid of making the decisive tackle thus breaking the opponent's attack. The 74 yellow cards he has received so far is proof enough of his desire to stick the leg out.
However, only two red cards show that he is not that irresponsible to leave his team in danger in their times of need.
Casemiro's presence in midfield allows the others in front of him to go on all-out attack without worrying too much about the opposing team's counter-attacking threat.
When Real Madrid signed Casemiro from Sao Paulo, they paid just about €7m for him. Now, though, that figure has gone up to €70m making him third in the list of Brazil's most valuable players.
#2 Marquinhos - €75m
Marquinhos is undoubtedly one of the brightest defenders Brazil has given to the world. The 27-year-old leads the charge in a team full of star players which shows the quality he brings into the team as a leader.
Marquinhos is equally good as a defensive midfielder as well. He is deft at marking his opponents and his ease on the ball is something enviable.
In addition to his skills with long-range passing, Marquinhos is also good at reading the game and making the right passes at the right moment.
Even at international level, Marquinhos can step in at midfield for Brazil in the absence of experts in that role.
Paris Saint-Germain signed Marquinhos for a reasonable fee of €31m from AS Roma back in 2013. That money has, of course, been well spent and his current market value of €75m is refelctive of his contribution towards club and country.
#1 Neymar - €100m
Obviously the top spot on the list has to go to the world's most expensive player. PSG paid Barcelona a fee in the region of €222m for Neymar back in 2017, which is an acute reflection on the quality that the Brazil international has to offer.
Neymar started his career as an out-and-out striker back in Brazil. But his skills with dribbling were soon spotted by his manager at Barcelona, who preferred to use him as a wider option in a three-man attack.
He takes the ball up from a deeper position in midfield before either going for goal himself or setting up his team-mates. The 163 goals he has set up so far over the course of his career are reflective of his skills with the ball.
In addition to his dribbling skills, Neymar is also good at passing and creating opportunities for his team-mates. Along with Kylian Mbappe, Neymar forms a formidable attack for PSG which is further expected to receive a boost with the addition of his former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi.
Neymar's long-range shooting and heading abilities have also improved with time. His style resembles that of a former Brazil legend Ronaldinho.
Leaving all the controversies surrounding his move from Brazil to Spain, Neymar remains the greatest modern Brazil player and his €100m valuation is reflective of that.
