DThere’s always room for doubt in the debate about who is the greatest player of all time, or whether a player’s value is real or exaggerated. Even if a notary appears and exposes the truth, there will always be people who feel there is a certain bias in naming certain players or prices.
Still, believing that the ability to express one’s opinion freely and respectfully on anything is always something to be celebrated, MARCA wanted to ask someone, or rather something, that was impartial. We focused on artificial intelligence, specifically Grok. As a result, on the basis of that huge database, accumulated in a matter of seconds, it is now possible to analyze the interesting question: what is the price of Pele and Maradona today? But before you get to that point, don’t start building your house from the roof up.
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First of all, let’s ask what are the top 10 greatest soccer players of all time for AI? I admit that there may be some nuances in the selection within the top six, but definitely in the top five are Leo Messi, Pele, Maradona, Cruyff and Cristiano Ronaldo.
From here the remaining names arrive, which, according to Grok, are “created according to the broadest consensus among historians, former players, journalists and the latest statistics (2025). Subjective, but well-founded.”
The rest: Alfredo Di Stefano. Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo Nazario, Franz Beckenbauer and, to round out the top ten, two names: George Best and Garrincha.
“These names are in 95% of serious lists (France Football, The Guardian, FourFourTwo, IFFHS, etc.),” says the AI. It then lists another set of names, highlighting it “as a block for Xavi Iniesta Busquets, when collective influence is important”.
Value from AI
With the top 10 already in hand, it’s time to press the button again. Then Grok will magically reveal how much they cost, taking into account 1001 statistical sections such as goals, trophies, attacking or defensive contributions as appropriate, impact from a general point of view…
This gets even better when you compare these numbers with the current value, which is taken into account to know the value of current stars such as Mbappé, Lamine and Haaland.
This was the question we asked Grok, and this was his answer. “From this top 10, put me in the top 10 of these players based on their goals, trophies and contribution statistics in their prime, based on the market value they would have in today’s European leagues.”
Pele. Estimated value: 350 million euros: 3 World Cups, around 1200 goals (competitive matches + friendlies), absolute ruler before the global era. Comparable to Mbappé/Haaland, who have more historical influence. Estimated >300M
Johan Cruyff. Estimated value: 290 million. 3 consecutive European Cups, 3 Ballon d’Ors, almost 400 goals + the invention of total football. Reddit/Transfermarkt adjusted the 1973 transfer record to over 250 million.
Lionel Messi, estimated value: 250 million. Approximately 850 goals, 8 Ballon d’Ors, 4 UCLs + World Cup 2022. Prime (2010s) value is about 180 meters, now adjusted as Yamal (400 meters), but 250 meters is more realistic for lifetime/unrealistic statistics.
Cristiano Ronaldo, estimated value: 250 million euros.
Approximately 900 goals, 5 Ballon d’Ors, 5 UCLs. He was worth $120 million at his peak in his prime (2010s) and is currently worth around $250 million, similar to Mbappé, but with more trophies and longevity.
Diego Maradona. Estimated value: 200 million euros. World Cup ’86 (almost alone), two Serie A with Napoli, 350 goals. Transfers adjusted from 1982 (17 million) to >200 million due to football inflation.
Ronaldo Nazario. Estimated amount: 200 million euros. 2 Ballon d’Or, 2002 World Cup (top scorer), approximately 400 goals during his explosive heyday. Comparable to Haaland (180M) but with more magic/trophies.
Alfredo Di Stefano. Estimated value: 200 million euros. Five consecutive wins in the European Cup, totaling approximately 500 goals for the players. Impact is similar to Cruyff, but adjusted up to 200 million for the Wilderness.
Franz Beckenbauer. Estimated value: 190 million euros. Winner of 3 European Cups and 74 World Cups, libero inventor. Transfermarkt currently estimates $190 million in its heyday in 1974.
Zinedine Zidane. Estimated value: 185 million euros. World Cup 98, Euro 2000, UCL 2002; 2001 transfer (70 million) adjusted to 158 million (~185 million) by TotallyMoney/SportbibleGeorge Best / Garrincha. 68 Ballon d’Ors, 68 UCLs, ~200 goals/elite dribbling. Tuned up to 150M as an iconic winger. Same goes for Garrincha, up to 150 million for 2 World Cups/Dribble, but great for marketing).
This is the methodology used by the AI: main statistics (contribution of goals ~400-1200, majors 3-8 trophies, leadership/innovation, etc.), the latest comparisons (Yamal 400 million per Transfermarkt 2025, Mbappe/Bellingham 180 million), and football inflation (not only CPI, but also percentage of league/TV revenue) Source: Expert analysis from GOAL, Transfermarkt, and Reddit Quora.
However, X’s own AI points out the subjectivity of the analysis, but agrees that there is good evidence: “Pele/Cruyff are leading in the era of ‘scarcity’ (less global competition), but according to modern statistics Messi/CR7. Defenders like Beckenbauer are lower in the pecking order (less valuable in the current market).”
