Ronaldo Nazario, Maradona and Platini: how much would soccer legends be worth today?

During the last years, soccer took advantage of the globalization and transformed into one of the greatest businesses on the world. People from all over the planet now pays to watch games and clubs, federations and players earn fortunes per season, much more than what they gained in the past.

Hearing that the release clause of a top player is about $700 millionor that a transfer was closed for more than $150 million is not crazy anymore, but it was one day. There were some historical transfers closed by very little money that could now have been arranged for fortunes.

PlayRatings used an algorithm to calculate which would be the most expensive transfers ever, if the prices were always the ones that are now. Some movements of top historical legends appeared. The no. 1 would then be Ronaldo Nazario, who left FC Barcelona to join Inter in 1997 for just $25 million, a transfer that would now cost $380 million according to the research.

The second position is occupied by another legend: Diego Maradona. His movement from Barcelona to Napoli cost just $6 million in 1984, but would now cost $300 million. The Argentinian arrived to the Italian side and changed its history, gaining many titles that they could never conquer before.

No. 3 in the list is Michel Platini, who left St. Etienne to join Juventus in 1982 for $3 million, a transfer that would now cost $295 million. The top five is completed with Christian Vieri, from Lazio to Inter for $295 million instead of $41 million, and Marco van Basten, from Ajax to AC Milan for $289 million instead of $1 million.