THE EUROMILLIONS JACKPOT is expected to hit €83 million tonight which has us wondering what sort of football team we could put together for that price.
We’ve focused exclusively on European-based players, it is the EuroMillions after all, and taken current transfer values.
Think you could find a better XI? Let us know in the comments section below:
GK: Fernando Pacheco, Deportivo Alaves – €2.5million
Pacheco signed for Alaves on a free from Real Madrid and has been in fine form this season, keeping nine clean sheets in La Liga and helping his side to mid-table respectability.
RB: Serge Aurier, PSG – €15 million
He’s costly for a full-back, but the Ivory Coast defender is the perfect fit for the modern game with a desire to get forward and the ability to put in crunching tackles when required.
CB: Thomas Vermaelen, Roma – €4 million
The past three years have been ones to forget for the Belgian centre-half but, when fit, he has all the attributes you want from a player at that position. He’s tall, has good positional sense, and can score at the other end. You just have to hope he stays healthy.
CB: Dayot Upamecano, Red Bull Salzburg - €5 million
The 18-year-old attracted attention from all of Europe’s top clubs before signing with Red Bull Salzburg earlier this year. He was named in the team of the tournament as France won the Under-17 European Championships.
LB: Douglas Santos, Hamburg – €6 million
An Olympic Gold medallist, the 23-year old was signed by Hamburg with the hope they might have found the next Cafu or Roberto Carlos when it came to great Brazilian full backs. Those are especially big boots to fill but Santos has every chance.
DM: Thomas, Atletico Madrid – €4.5 million
His performances in the Vicente Calderon prompted Premier League interest last season and his reputation is one on the rise, so much so that the Ghana international inked a new three-year deal that will keep him with Atleti until 2022.
CM: Kai Havertz, Bayer Leverkusen – €5 million
When a club like Leverkusen are ready to anoint you as the new Michael Ballack, you must be doing okay. An old-fashioned box-to-box midfielder, the 17-year old Havertz is one of the most promising young midfielders in Europe.
CM: Ante Coric, Dinamo Zagreb – €10 million
Bayern Munich take a very scientific approach to grading young footballers, and Coric was the first player in team history to score maximum points in their system. However, he turned down the German giants, opting instead to stick closer to home but his performances on the pitch have Europe’s elite monitoring his every move.
RW: Christian Pulisic, Dortmund – €12 million
Believe the hype. Pulisic is the player US football fans have been looking for every since Pele inspired a generation with a few appearances for New York Cosmos. More a creator than a scorer of goals, he’s just to man to put in the key pass when it’s needed. And he’s only 18.
LW: Jessie Lingard, Manchester United – €9 milllion
Lingard has become a first team regular at Manchester United under Jose Mourinho this season and scored in February’s League Cup final victory as well as netting the winner in last year’s FA Cup final win.
CF: Kylian Mbappe, Monaco – €10 million
One of the most exciting teenagers in European football, the 18-year old has 12 goals and eight assists with 22 Ligue 1 games this season, not to mention a brace in Champions League action. The next Thierry Henry? Quite possibly.
Total value = €83 million
But what could you do if you had double that budget available? Well the highest recent EuroMillions jackpot was nearly €166 million on 11 October 2016, and for that money this is the kind of team you could put together:
GK: David de Gea, Manchester United – €40 million
RB: Serge Aurier, PSG – €15 million
CB: Lucas Hernández, Atlético Madrid – €10 million
CB: Matthias Ginter, Borussia Dortmund, €15 million
LB: Wendell, Bayer Leverkusen – €13 million
DM: Tomás Rincón, Juventus – €9 million
CM: Marouane Fellaini, Manchester United – €12 million
CM: Ante Coric, Dinamo Zagreb – €10 million
RW: Christian Pulisic, Dortmund – €12 million
LW: Jesé, Las Palmas, €12.5 million
CF: André Silva, FC Porto €17 million
Total = €165.5 million and it’s pretty clear this team is beating the first one.
Pipedream? The team might be but the fortune isn’t. You can win a cool €166 million by doubling your line stake when playing the DoubleJackpot feature on the EuroMillions draw tonight with Lottoland. And building your own world-class soccer team is just one of the things you could do with the cash. For more info, visit Lottoland.
