The transfer value of Bafana Bafana defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi has climbed even more after his fine performances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the CIES now making him the most valuable player in the Major League Soccer.
Mbokazi, 20, was the youngest player in Hugo Broos’ World Cup squad but also one of the top performers as Bafana reached the knockout stages for the first time.
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He featured for the full 90 minutes in all four matches, as Bafana lost 2-0 to Mexico, drew 1-1 with Czechia, beat South Korea 1-0 before losing 1-0 to Canada in the Round of 32.
The former Orlando Pirates centre-back received widespread laurels for his performances and was ranked in 10th among the best U23 in his position, with his national teammate Ime Okon ranked in fourth.
However, he did pick up an injury shortly after the tournament and only returned to playing in the end of September – also missing the three Bafana games during the recent international break.
But according to a new list released by the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES), Mbokazi is the highest-valued player in the Major League Soccer and now valued at €20 million.
Converted into Rand that figures comes to around R373 million, which is a massive increase on the €2.5 million (R46 million) fee Chicago are understood to have paid to Pirates.
CIES released their findings in their 554th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post, presenting the top 10 players by league with the highest transfer value across 55 competitions outside Europe’s big-5.
