Madrid derby is also being played on the balance sheet: Real Madrid worth $896 million more than Atletico

Some derbies get decided on the pitch, others are half decided on the balance sheet already. The one Atletico and Real Madrid will play on Sunday, just six matchdays into LaLiga, falls into that second category: the gap in squad value between the two sides comes out to $896 million, a figure that on its own tells much of the recent story of this Madrid derby.

Summer brought plenty of movement on both sides of the city. Neither club came into this season with a trophy in hand, so both hit the market eager to strengthen. Between them they brought in eleven new faces for a combined outlay of $400 million. Atletico, for its part, first treated itself to locking down Julian Alvarez before spending $141 million on five signings: Alejandro Grimaldo, Lee Kang-In, Jonathan David, Morten Hjulmand and Cristian Romero.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, went as high as $259 million to add Yan Diomande, Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, Bernardo Silva and Carlos Espi. Big numbers on both sides, sure, but Atletico's problem isn't how much it spent this summer, it's where it started from.

A gap that keeps growing

According to Transfermarkt figures, Real Madrid's squad is now worth $1.675 billion. Atletico's sits at $779 million. That's the math: a gap of $896 million, a jump not even the best transfer window can paper over in a single go.

And it isn't just about the capital's eternal rival. Barcelona, which also arrives as LaLiga leader after these first six matchdays, has a squad valued at $1.366 billion. In other words, Atletico isn't only trailing Madrid from a distance, Barca is also well ahead of them.

Simeone has been saying the same thing for a while now whenever he's asked why his team doesn't go toe to toe with Madrid and Barca for the league title. This time the numbers don't just back him up, they shout it.

Mbappe, the derby's priciest player

Looking at individual value, the name at the top is Kylian Mbappe, valued at $229.5 million and the most expensive player of either side that will take the field this Sunday. Behind him come Jude Bellingham ($183 million) and Vinicius Junior ($160 million), an attacking spine that on its own is worth more than plenty of entire squads in LaLiga.

On the Atletico side, the most valuable player is, unsurprisingly after his contract renewal, Julian Alvarez, at $120 million. Pablo Barrios follows at $63 million, a gap that illustrates the difference in caliber between the two locker rooms well.

And to put things fully in perspective: LaLiga is home to the most valuable player on the planet. That's Lamine Yamal, valued at $252 million, a figure even Mbappe doesn't reach, a reminder that while Madrid and Atletico face off on Sunday, Barcelona is watching from above with a squad that outvalues both of them too.