Only two of the 25 football players called up by the Portuguese women’s team for the double match against Azerbaijan, in the first round of the playoff to access Euro’2025, have a market value equal to or greater than 100 thousand euros.
According to Soccerdonna, a Transfermarkt portal specializing in women’s football transfers, striker Kika Nazareth and midfielder Andreia Jacinto are the two most valuable athletes available to coach Francisco Neto.
For comparison purposes, only 10 of the 25 called up have an evaluation, making a total of 580 thousand euros, a value far from the 972 million euros (ME) with which Transfermarkt valued the last men called up by Spaniard Roberto Martínez for the victory in Poland ( 3 -1) and the draw in Scotland (0-0), on October 12th and 15th, in the third and fourth rounds of Group A1 of the Nations League.
In that squad, the lowest market value was that of Ricardo Velho, Farense’s goalkeeper, 18th and last placed in the Portuguese First League, valued at five ME on his debut in the men’s team.
Kika, 21, is valued at 125,000 euros, just months after leaving four-time national champions Benfica for FC Barcelona, winner of the Spanish championship for five consecutive seasons and the last two editions of the Champions League.
By abandoning the Eagles for around 500,000 fixed euros – which could reach 650,000 in bonuses -, the attacker generated the most expensive transaction of all time in the sport in Portugal, even though it was below the termination clause, then an ME.
In general, the value involved in a real deal should not be equated with the market price, which, even on the most credible portals, is revised downwards and depends on several individual and contextual criteria, being constantly updated throughout the season.
Kika Nazareth increased the list of Portuguese players developing in the neighboring country, to which Andreia Jacinto, recruited by Real Sociedad from Sporting at the end of her contract and currently valued at 100 thousand euros, had arrived in the summer of 2022.
Also midfielder Tatiana Pinto, with 80 thousand euros, after being signed by Atlético Madrid from Brighton, and central defender Diana Gomes, three seasons ago in Seville, with 35 thousand, also play in Spain and are valued at Soccerdonna.
The top 5 on the list is completed by Andreia Faria and Andreia Norton, both Benfica midfielders, valued at 60 thousand and 50 thousand euros, respectively, followed by red right-back Catarina Amado, with 45 thousand.
Central Ana Seiça, who ended her contract with Benfica at the end of last season and signed for Tigres, two-time champion of the opening tournament of the Mexican League, is worth 40 thousand euros, above two former teammates, the equally central Carole Costa, with 30 thousand, and goalkeeper Rute Costa, with 15 thousand.
The other 15 footballers named by Francisco Neto have no assigned market value, including the seven transferred by Sporting and the three from Sporting de Braga, in a call-up that recently excluded striker Jéssica Silva, valued at 60 thousand euros, due to injury, following the change. from Benfica to North American champion Gotham.
The disparate price between the main national clubs must be explained by the three consecutive trips to the main phase of the Champions League, from 2021/22 to 2023/24 – a season in which they reached the quarter-finals for the first time -, while the ‘ lionesses’ did in 2017/18 and 2018/19 and the ‘arsenalistas’ in 2019/20.
Portugal’s combined value of 580 thousand euros is the ninth highest among the 28 teams included in the first phase of the qualifying play-off for Euro2025, which present a deformed universe of athletes listed in Soccerdonna, under the outstanding leadership of Sweden, with 2.59 ME, and Norway, with 2.51 ME.
The national bar is just behind the two most valuable players in the world today, who belong to Barcelona: Spanish midfielder Aitana Bonmatí, winner of the Ballon d’Or in 2023, with 750 thousand euros, and Norwegian winger Caroline Graham Hansen, with 600 thousand .
Portugal visits Azerbaijan on Friday, at the Delga Arena, in Mardakan, at 4 pm local time (1 pm in Lisbon), in the opening of the first playoff to access Euro’2025, with the second leg scheduled for October 29, the starting at 7:45 pm, at the FC Vizela Stadium.
If they defeat the Azeris, the Portuguese will face Belarus or the Czech Republic in the second and final round of the play-offs, between November 27th and December 3rd, taking into account one of the seven places available in the final phase of the main continental tournament of national teams.
The 14th edition of the Women’s European Championship takes place from July 2 to 27, 2025, in Switzerland, and could provide the third consecutive participation for Portugal, which did not progress beyond the group stage in 2017 and 2022.
