Forbes’ update on the most valuable football clubs in the world has seen Spanish giants and 2022 Champions League winners Real Madrid top the list. Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and Chelsea also make the list.
Forbes, a renowned American business magazine with a global audience, has released an updated list of the most valuable sports clubs in the world. The list, which features the top 50 wealthiest sports entities in the world, has eight football clubs in the list, all in Europe. There are slight changes to the previous list, with Real Madrid still maintaining the top spot.
English Premier League teams dominated the list, followed by Spanish clubs. German Bundesliga and French Ligue 1 have one representative each, with Bayern Munich and Paris Saint Germain on the list. Below is full coverage of all eight teams on the list.
Real Madrid $5.1b
The 2022 Champions of Europe and La Liga champions are heading the list. Their estimated value is $5.1b, with a 6.8% increase recorded from last year which was estimated at $4.7b.
Barcelona $5b
Barcelona is second on the table with an estimated rise in their valuation. The Catalans are valued at $5b. Barcelona liquidated some of its assets as pressure to meet La Liga demands to register players mounted. The club is just $100m below the Los Blancos. It is projected that they may likely top their domestic rivals soon, regaining their position. They were top of this list last year. According to Forbes, despite a grinding debt, Barcelona witnessed an inflow of $692m as revenue.
Manchester United $4.6b.
Manchester United is third on the chart. They are the first English Premier League club on the table and the third in the world. The Red Devils are based at $4.6b, beating the other domestic rivals such as Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City.
Liverpool $4.45
Liverpool is the second Premier League club following Manchester United with just a $50m difference. The Merseyside club is valued at $4.45b
Bayern Munich $4.26b
Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich are fifth on the stats and the first and only German club on the list. Bayern Munich is valued at $4.28b.
Manchester City $4.26
Manchester City $4.25b closely follows Bayern Munich in the 6th position. The citizens are valued at $4.25b. They are the third Premier League team on the chart. Manchester City is closely followed by French giants Paris Saint Germain, who are also owned by Arab investors.
PSG $3.3b
There is almost a one billion dollar gap between Manchester City and PSG, the widest margin so far on the chart. PSG is valued at $3.3b. They are the only French club on the chart.
Chelsea $3.1b
Chelsea is the last club on the table with a value of $3.1b. They are the fourth Premier League team on the chart. Chelsea closely follows PSG with a difference of $200m.
How Forbes Arrive At Their Rankings
Team values (equity plus net debt) are based on Forbes’ published valuations for each club during the past six months. They are calculated using revenue and operating income adjusted for revenue sharing, and include the economics of each team’s arena deal but not the value of the real estate itself.
The information used to compile Forbes’ valuations are primarily from the teams, sports bankers, media consultants and public documents, like arena lease agreements and bond documents.
