Colombia is confirmed as an inexhaustible pool of talent for soccer, in which the Antioquian clubs maintain a great role. This is demonstrated by the ranking published by the X account @Andres25400, based on figures from the specialized portal Transfermarkt, which presents the 20 best-rated players under 23 years of age on the international market.
These names will be in action in the Betplay League-1 2026 that will begin next weekend, unless some last-minute business is finalized.
The ranking is led by Samarium Josen Escobar, of the América de Cali registry, listed in €1.50 M (million euros). Behind the scarlet pivot, a large purslane presence is identified with the forward Emilio Aristizábal (he returned after his loan in Fortaleza), valued at €1.20 M. With the same number, in the third box, the defender appears Juan José Arias; while the defender Simon Garcia occupies fifth place with a cost of €1.00 M, only surpassed by Kevin Mantilla, from the DIMwhose token reaches €1.20 M.
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The Powerful One also contributes to this list Loboa Page (11th place), whose pass would currently be worth €900,000. For its part, the “Quarry of Heroes” of Envigado, which this year will compete in the second division, has in the scorer Santiago Londono to its best seed (13th place); The club seeking his services must pay €900,000.
According to the report, the asset portfolio of these 20 young people reaches €19.7 M. It is also concluded that the current market shows a clear preference for pivots (midfielders) with a clear exit and large central defenders, concentrating 40% of the total value of the ranking in these positions.
Which club dominates the market?
By institutions, there is a marked hegemony of National Athletic, who not only has the largest number of players on the list (6), but has diversified his capital across all lines of the field. With a combined value of €6.2 million, it is the club with the most robust youth assets in the country. América de Cali, with two representatives, has the absolute leader (Escobar) and the left winger Jhon Palacios (19th place), valued at €700,000.
The case of Santiago Londoño deserves to be highlighted. At 17 years old, he already has a valuation of €900,000, equaling players with four more years of experience such as Samuel Velásquez or Beckham Castro. This places him as the footballer with the highest potential return on investment on the list.
Read here: Is the Colombian league a place for “veterans”? It has one of the highest average ages in South America
Thus, the 2026 market indicates that the Colombian league has ceased to be a “league of wingers” to become an exporter of first-line defenders and midfielders. This suggests that clubs have prioritized tactical training to meet the demands of European football and MLS. At least 30% of this list – especially Escobar, Mantilla and Aristizábal – are projected to make transfers abroad before the summer market closes in August 2026.
Worth a look
