The Colombian soccer league, according to data released by Transfermarkt, is far below its competitors, both in Latin America and worldwide.
The league occupies eighth position in Latin America and is not among the best ten worldwide. This study highlights the significant economic difference that separates the most prestigious leagues in the world from the Colombian one.
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From a global point of view, the most valuable league is the English one, with an estimated value of 11 billion euros. By contrast, The Colombian league has a value of only 241 million euros.
Spain occupies second position, valued at 5 billion euros, followed by Italy and Germany with 4.4 billion euros each, and France with 4 billion euros. These figures underline the considerable distance in financial terms between the European leagues and the Colombian one.
Within Latin America, The Colombian competition is behind the tournaments of Brazil, the United States, the Argentine Professional League, the Argentine Cup and the three tournaments of Mexico (Clausura, Apertura and Liguilla). Despite these differences, the Colombian league manages to surpass the competitions of Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Peru. This reality reflects the economic challenges faced by the Colombian league compared to its peers in the region.
In specific terms within Colombia, The ranking of the most sought-after teams, based on Transfermarkt data, puts Millonarios in the lead, with a value of 23.3 million euros, followed by Junior, with 23 million euros; Atlético Nacional, with 18 million euros; DIM, with 16.2 million euros, and Tolima, with 16 million euros.
Notably, none of these teams managed to reach the final of the current tournament, highlighting a disparity between the clubs’ financial potential and their performance on the field.
For their part, the teams competing in the final, Santa Fe and Bucaramanga, have valuations of 13 million euros and 10 million euros respectively, which places them in seventh and thirteenth positions in the national league rankings. This situation shows that greater economic value does not always translate into sporting success.
Experts from the soccer field, including several coaches and former players, suggest that it is crucial to implement strategies that increase the competitiveness and value of the Colombian league in the regional context. The figures released by Transfermarkt provide a clear perspective on the financial challenges that the league must face to improve its position and relevance both nationally and internationally.
These data, according to Transfermarkt, highlight the need for greater investment and better management in the Colombian league to close the gap with the most valued and competitive leagues. “Colombian soccer needs an economic restructuring to be more competitive at a global and regional level,” commented several experts consulted by The Colombian.
With information from Transfermarkt, it is clear that the Colombian Football League must face significant economic challenges to improve its position both in Latin America and on the global scene.
The current situation of Colombian football faces a significant challenge according to various analyzes by experts. The priority, according to many, is to implement strategies to retain young players through better conditions before exporting them to foreign leagues. Prominent coach Jorge Luis Pinto pointed out that the tendency of European clubs to bring in young players represents a difficulty, but he considered it viable to offer attractive projects in local clubs that would encourage players and their agents to reconsider their premature departure.
“It is not an easy situation because Colombia is an exporting country and the European market increasingly brings younger players to its leagues.. But you can try to seduce these boys and their businessmen with important projects in the clubs that allow them to think twice before quickly leaving for foreign football,” Jorge Luis Pinto stated to The Colombian.
Additionally, experts such as former soccer player Harold Lozano have suggested that improvements in refereeing could increase the pace of matches and make the league more attractive to spectators. Looking at the world’s leading leagues, Lozano highlighted that maintaining the continuity of the game is a factor that increases its appeal.
Another proposal is to invest in quality reinforcements instead of recurrently resorting to players who return to the country at the end of their careers. This approach could raise the level of the league and improve its market valuation.
Colombian soccer officials, who celebrated in February 2022 when the league was considered the fifth best in the world, now face concerns after a new, less favorable ranking. Among the factors are the non-qualification for the Qatar World Cup and the discreet results at the continental level, with the last brilliant participation being that of Santa Fe in the 2015 Copa Sudamericana and Nacional in the 2016 Copa Libertadores.
In addition, the league is characterized by having an excessive number of games, which reduces rest periods for players and affects their performance on the field of play.
