Real Madrid remains Europe’s best despite the English Premier League’s growing supremacy, according to analysts’ Football Benchmark.
The research rates Europe’s 32 most powerful clubs, measuring their worth using annual financial filings and evaluating team values.
Real, who will meet Liverpool in the Champions League final on Saturday, won the report for the fourth year in a row, with a valuation of 3.184 billion euros ($3.4 billion).
Although the report points out that they were one of the few clubs to record a net profit in both seasons touched by the virus, their worth in 2020, just before the outbreak, was approximately 3.5 billion euros.
“Real Madrid have extended their lead at the top due to continuous sporting and commercial success,” says the report’s author, Andrea Sartori.
According to the report, Real Madrid lost 84 million euros due to a lack of matchday revenue as a result of fans being turned away due to the epidemic.
However, Real “made the most of the restrictions…accelerating works on the Bernabeu. It’ll be ready by the end of 2022 or the beginning of 2023, and it’ll almost likely enhance their revenue and offer them a competitive advantage”.
Manchester United (2.9 billion euros) and Barcelona (2.8 billion euros) finished third and fourth, respectively, with Bayern Munich and Liverpool in fifth and sixth place.
Only four of the 32 most valued clubs are from outside the top five European leagues of England, Spain, Germany, Italy, and France (Ajax, Galatasaray, Porto, and Benfica).
At a time when Premier League clubs are dominating in Europe, ten of the top 32 are English.
The paper notes that “what is pushing English clubs towards bigger continental glory is their financial success.”
“The Premier League’s aggregate operating revenues of 5.1 billion euros put them comfortably at the top,” while “what really sets them apart are highly remunerative broadcasting agreements”.
Over the seven years since the inaugural Football Benchmark study, Paris Saint-Germain has grown in value by 153 percent, to more than two billion euros.
Above all, according to the report, football is exhibiting evidence that the dip brought on by Covid is coming to an end.
“Last year’s financial results still bear the negative impacts of COVID-19, while the past several months reflect solid signs of football returning to normal, most notably with crowds back in stadia and with continued robust demand from sponsors and investors.”
Real Madrid is valued at €3,184 million in the European Elite 2022 survey.
Real Madrid is Europe’s most valuable football club for the fourth year in a row, according to the Football Benchmark platform’s European Elite 2022 assessment.
Madrid is the only club to surpass the €3 billion mark, with a worth of €3,184 million. In the standings, Madrid is followed by Manchester United (€2.883m) and Barcelona (€2.814m).
Football Benchmark reports that the teams’ valuation increased by 10% on average in the previous year, but that due to the pandemic, they have yet to reach the heights seen between 2016 and 2020.
Real Madrid’s place at the top is maintained by the club’s continued sports and commercial success, according to the research, which also notes that the team is one of the few to have had a net profit during the pandemic-affected seasons.
According to the report, the new Santiago Bernabéu will provide the club with a significant revenue rise as well as a competitive advantage over other prominent European clubs.
| POSITION | CLUB | VALUE (€m) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Madrid | 3,184 |
| 2 | Manchester United | 2,883 |
| 3 | Barcelona | 2,814 |
| 4 | Bayern Munich | 2,749 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 2,556 |
| 6 | Manchester City | 2,483 |
| 7 | Chelsea | 2,179 |
| 8 | PSG | 2,132 |
| 9 | Tottenham | 1,912 |
| 10 | Juventus | 1,597 |
| 11 | Arsenal | 1,584 |
| 12 | Atletico | 1,234 |
| 13 | Borussia Dortmund | 1,226 |
| 14 | Inter | 996 |
| 15 | Milan | 578 |
Who has won the most UEFA Champions League titles?
The UEFA Champions League is a prize that every European club aspires to win.
The Champions League is a battle for the greatest teams on the continent, and winning it takes season-long consistency and the ability to execute under pressure.
Real Madrid is the definitive UEFA Champions League champion, having won the championship a record 13 times.
The Spanish team has dominated the Champions League since its inception, winning five consecutive trophies and three in a row from 2016 to 2018.
AC Milan is the next best performing club, with seven trophies under their belt, but they haven’t won the competition since 2007.
With six wins each, Liverpool and Bayern Munich are level for third place, however the Reds might go one better if they upset Real Madrid in the 2021-22 final.
| Club | Titles | Finals won |
|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | 13 | 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 |
| AC Milan | 7 | 1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007 |
| Liverpool | 6 | 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005, 2019 |
| Bayern Munich | 6 | 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, 2020 |
| Barcelona | 5 | 1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015 |
| Ajax | 4 | 1971, 1972, 1973, 1995 |
| Manchester United | 3 | 1968, 1999, 2008 |
| Inter Milan | 3 | 1964, 1965, 2010 |
| Juventus | 2 | 1985, 1996 |
| Benfica | 2 | 1961, 1962 |
| Chelsea | 2 | 2012, 2021 |
| Nottingham Forest | 2 | 1979, 1980 |
| Porto | 2 | 1987, 2004 |
