Market capitalization gives Korea the edge over Saudi Arabia

The Saudi national team faces a tough friendly test when they take on South Korea on Friday evening at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar. This match is part of their preparations during their current training camp in Qatar, which also includes a second friendly against Uzbekistan on Tuesday, November 17. The upcoming match will see South Korea significantly outperform Saudi Arabia in terms of market value, according to Transfermarkt. The total value of the South Korean players is approximately €139.35 million, compared to €38 million for the Saudi team – a difference of over €100 million. Saud Abdulhamid, who plays for Lens in France, tops the list of Saudi players in terms of market value, reaching €9 million, making him the most valuable Saudi player in history. Musab Al-Juwair, who plays for Al-Qadisiyah, comes in second with a value of €6 million, while Firas Al-Buraikan, the Al-Ahli striker, occupies third place with a market value of €3.5 million. On the South Korean side, the national team boasts a number of prominent names playing in European leagues, led by Kang-in Lee of Atlético Madrid, whose market value reaches €35 million, followed by defender Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich, valued at €20 million. The list also includes Heung-min Son of Los Angeles FC and Hyun-gyu Oh of Beşiktaş, each with a market value of €15 million, reflecting the caliber of players the South Korean team is relying on ahead of the friendly match. Despite the significant difference in their market values, the match represents an important opportunity for the Saudi national team to test its readiness against an opponent with highly experienced players and to benefit from this challenging encounter before continuing its preparation program with a match against Uzbekistan.