Madrid has been named the world’s most valuable football club by Forbes, with a value of $6.6 billion. This marks the third consecutive year that Madrid has topped the list and the eighth time in 11 years. Despite facing financial difficulties, Barcelona came in third in the rankings at $5.6 billion, still ahead of Liverpool’s $5.37 billion.
Forbes uses “enterprise value” to rank clubs, taking into account factors like market value, debt, and assets. Madrid generated a record $873 million in revenue in 2022-23, the most of any team on the list, from broadcasting deals, commercial partnerships, and matchday earnings. This success both on and off the pitch has contributed to their high value.
There are 12 Premier League clubs in the Forbes list’s top 30, with Tottenham, Chelsea, and Arsenal also ranking in the top 10. Atlético Madrid is the only other LaLiga team in the top 30, coming in 13th with a value of $1.3 billion. The finances of these teams have been boosted by their successes in various competitions such as reaching Champions League final and completing renovations at their stadiums like Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium renovation that cost $495 million which helped increase its total worth from $4 billion to $4.9 billion .
The average team on the list is now worth $2.3 billion, a 5.1% increase from the previous year despite challenges in the broadcast rights market for leagues like Bundesliga and Serie A . However , it was reported that Ligue One’s broadcast rights deal helped boost it’s overall worth significantly .
