The most valuable football clubs as calculated by highly respected business magazine Forbes.
10. Liverpool
Value: $651m
Owner: Fenway Sports Group
Still a bankable brand despite the Anfield side moving no nearer to establishing themselves on the domestic and European stages. The Merseyside club’s owners are keen to build Liverpool’s squad organically and in a cost effective manner, preferring to adopt a long term strategy over a potential boom and bust approach.
9. Man City
Value: $689
Owner: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Etihad Stadium side lost their grip on the Premier League title and sacked Roberto Mancini accordingly. New boss Manuel Pellegrini has been told to sell before he can continue to spend, indicating a more balanced approach to squad building than in recent seasons.
8. Juventus
Value: $694 million
Owner: Agnelli family
Back to back Serie A titles have led to the Old Lady of Italian football experiencing something of a renaissance. Boss Antonio Conte has brought in big summer additions with a view to making more of an impact on the Champions League stage.
7. Chelsea
Value: $901 million
Owner: Roman Abramovich
Chelsea pocketed a record $76 million for winning the Champions League in 2011-12 while also bagging England’s FA Cup. Chelsea won its first UEFA Europa League title this year.
6. AC Milan
Value: $945 million
Owner: Silvio Berlusconi
AC Milan underperforms in matchday revenue because San Siro stadium (which the Rossaneri share with Inter Milan) is antiquated and attendance has steadily declined in recent years.
5. Bayern Munich
Value: $1.309 billion
Owner: Club members
Bayern improved on its runner-up finish in the UEFA Champions League last year to win the title in 2013, which was their fifth crown overall. Bayern revenues are twice as high as its nearest competitor, Borussia Dortmund, in the Bundesliga.
4. Arsenal
Value: $1.326 billion
Owner: Stan Kroenke
The Gunners had matchday revenue of $149 million during the 2011-12 season, the third-highest in soccer, due to capacity crowds at 60,400-seat Emirates Stadium.
3. Barcelona
Value: $2.6 billion
Owner: Club members
Barca added 21-year-old Brazilian star Neymar (above) in June in a transfer deal worth $74 million. Barcelona’s jersey sponsorship deal with Qatar Sports Investments is worth an average of $38 million a year through the 2015-16 season.
2. Man United
Value: $3.165 billion
Owner: Glazer family
Manager Alex Ferguson retired this year after leading United to its record 20th league title. Sir Alex was at the helm for 27 years and helped create one of the most valuable brands in sports. The team’s record shirt sponsorship deal with General Motors for the automaker’s Chevrolet brand kicks off in 2014-15 and is worth $559 million over seven years.
1. Real Madrid
Value: $3.3 billion
Owner: Club members
Los Merengues finished runner-up this year in La Liga and the Copa del Ray, but nab the title of the world’s most valuable sports team thanks to the highest revenues in sports ($650 million during the 2011-12 season). Real inked new deals with Adidas and Emirates Airlines over the last 12 months that will bring in roughly $80 million combined annually.