Women’s football has never been so popular. Just last month, Barcelona Femení smashed the world record for the highest attendance at the women’s football match, with 91,648 fans crammed into the Nou Camp.

As a result of the increased interest in the women’s game, the value of female players is also skyrocketing. Free transfers may still be the norm in women’s football, but there have been some eye-catching deals in recent years.

Danish striker Pernille Harder moved to Chelsea in 2020 for a reported sum of £250,000, for example, while Lyon reportedly brought Australian defender Ellie Carpenter for more than £100,000 in the same year.

These figures are still a long way off the amount of cash that is splashed about in men’s football, however.

We used evaluations from Transfermarkt and Soccerdonna to compare the top 10 most valuable players in men and women’s football.

Top 10 most valuable male footballers

10) Dušan Vlahović (Juventus) – £76.5 million

9) Neymar (PSG) – £81 million

8) Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City) – £81 million

7) Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) – £81 million

6) Phil Foden (Manchester City) – £81 million

5) Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) – £90 million

Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane

4) Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – £90 million

3) Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid) – £90 million

2) Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) – £135 million

1) Kylian Mbappé (PSG) – £144 million

It’s no surprise Kylian Mbappé is currently the player with the highest market value in men’s football.

The Frenchman has scored 35 goals and racked up 20 assists for PSG in all competitions this season, outshining both Messi and Neymar.

Mbappé is reportedly set to move to Real Madrid this summer – with his PSG contract expiring at the end of the season, Los Blancos would be saved from paying an eye-watering sum for the 23-year-old.

Kylian Mbappe
MADRID, SPAIN - MARCH 09: Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain controls the ball during the UEFA Champions League Round Of Sixteen Leg Two match between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 09, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

Top 10 most valuable female players

10) Marie-Antoinette Katoto (PSG) – £295,000

9) Fran Kirby (Chelsea) – £295,000

8) Lieke Martens (Barcelona) – £295,000

7) Mapi León (Barcelona) – £295,000

6) Pernille Harder (Chelsea) – £317,000

5) Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona) – £317,000

Barcelona star Caroline Graham Hansen

4) Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona) – £338,000

3) Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal) – £380,000

2) Sam Kerr (Chelsea) – £380,000

1) Alexia Putellas (Barcelona) – £507,000

Again, the player with the highest market value in women’s football comes as no surprise. Alexia Putellas is simply the best female player in the world at the moment.

The 28-year-old has 17 goals and a league-leading 16 assists in the Primera División this season, and she is the joint top-scorer in the Women’s Champions League with 10 goals.

Putellas received the Ballon d’Or Féminin for her incredible performances last year, and it is likely she will win the award again in December.

Alexia Putellas playing for Barcelona

It doesn’t take a mathematician to see there is a glaring difference in the market values for male and female footballers.

In fact, there is a 28302 percent increase in the market value for Mbappé, the highest valued male player, and Putellas, the highest valued female player.

There is even a 14989% increase in the market value of Dušan Vlahović, the 10th highest valued male player, and Putellas.

Even though the popularity of women’s football is increasing rapidly, it will take years before male and female players have similar market values, if ever.