Dubai: Football is one of the most viewed sports in the world and the teams who play on the pitch rake in millions of dollars every year.
Over the years many of the popular leagues have seen their commercial revenues grow considerably, thanks to multiple media and sponsorship deals.
Forbes has recently ranked the world’s 20 most valuable soccer teams in 2015 based on the revenues and operating incomes generated during the 2013-2014 season.
Real Madrid emerged as the wealthiest soccer team for the third consecutive year. Although the Spanish giant’s value dropped five per cent to $3.3 billion, its revenue is still the highest of any sports club in the world.
Barcelona is in second place with $3.2 billion in value, while Manchester United occupies the third spot with $3.1 billion, ahead of Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
The combined value of the world’s 20 richest teams climbed 11 per cent to $1.16 billion, mainly driven by the revenues from television and uniform deals.
Out of the 20 teams, eight are from England.
Below is the list of the top 10 most valuable teams of 2015 and their current value. The complete top 20 list can be found on Forbes.com:
1. Real Madrid: $3.263 billion
2. Barcelona: $3.163 billion
3. Manchester United: $3.104 billion
4. Bayern Munich: $2.347 billion
5. Manchester City: $1.375 billion
6. Chelsea: $1.370 billion
7. Arsenal: $1.307 billion
8. Liverpool: $982 million
9. Juventus: $837 million
10. AC Milan: $775 million
