The 10 Richest Football Clubs In The World
Barcelona FC – Photo – Flickr
Every year we update the football rich list and last year saw some big changes with the Covid-19 pandemic decimating revenue across all sport. With no fans in stadiums and many fixtures being cancelled, revenues have plummeted. The full scale of this can now be revealed and it’s the first year since the annual study began where all teams have taken a beating.
2022 World Cup favourites and predictions
With everything back to normal, bums back on seat and new tv rights deals, the football super clubs are coining it in again. And we have the imminent sale of Chelsea which will really help value the rest of the clubs on this list.
One club on our radar for next year will be Newcastle United, a takeover of the club has been completed in a £305m agreement by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which will now become the wealthiest owners in world football.
But the big news in 2022 is that the sale of Chelsea FC has been given approval by the UK government following the proposed takeover by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Consortium for £4.5bn / €5.26 / $5.62 bn. This approval of Chelsea’s takeover, with a valuation far surpassing expectations, adds a layer of complexity to win football predictions. Enthusiasts must now consider these unprecedented events to enhance the accuracy of their forecasts and navigate the evolving terrain of football predictions successfully. This figure is way above the previous valuation and is a now a benchmark for all the other super clubs on this rich list.
The even bigger news is that Manchester United are up for sale, with rumours of a 7 billion offer from Apple, this deal will break all records.
The 5 highest paid football managers
The 2021/2022 Football Rich List (Updated March 2022):
10. Juventus – €397.9 million
The signing of Ronaldo from Real Madrid in 2019 has really helped the coffers of Italian side Juventus. The most popular athlete on the planet – Cristiano Ronaldo, means greater brand visibility and a big boost in merchandise sales, this and a Serie A win for an eighth year in a row in 2019.
In 2020 Juventus remain the highest-placed of three Italian clubs in the rich list but only barely make it into the top 10. Revenue dropped €62m as Covid-19 wreaked havoc on the Italian football schedule.
Revenue breakdown –
Matchday Revenue: €42.3m
Broadcasting Revenue: €166.7m
Commercial Revenue: €188.9m
Estimated Value: €3.5 / $3.9 billion
The 10 most followed football clubs
9. Tottenham Hotspur – €445.7 million
A good run in the Champions League and a move to their new 62,000 stadium has seen Tottenham become London’s richest club after posting a record revenue figure in 2019. However, in 2020 Tottenham slipped a place as their revenue fell by €75m. while closed stadia dented valuable match day income. Their Broadcasting Revenue increases to a massive €276.7m but a closed brand new stadium hit seat revenue very hard.
Revenue breakdown –
Matchday Revenue: €107.7m
Broadcasting Revenue: €155.0m
Commercial Revenue: €183.0m
Estimated Value: €2.7 / $3 billion
The 10 most expensive transfers in footballing history
[geot_filter region=”” country=”GB” ]
[/geot_filter]
[geot_filter region=”” country=”IN” ]
[/geot_filter]
8. Chelsea – €445.7 million
Chelsea was put up for sale by Russian owner Roman Abramovich. This valuation and sale price sale price of £4.5bn / €5.26 / $5.62 bn could become the benchmark for all football club valuations, as no major clubs have been sold for many years.
Through the backing of their billionaire owner, Chelsea are always a top ten contender on the football rich list. In 2019 they slipped one place as revenue remained pretty much unchanged, in 2020 Chelsea climbed one place despite seeing revenue fall by €43m. Like all Premier League clubs, they suffered badly because of the Covid-19 turmoil.
Premier League team Chelsea finished third in the English division and had a very poor run in the UEFA Champions League last year. The club has some massive sponsorship deals including Nike and Yokohama Tyres and a loyal fan base that keeps revenues strong.
An amazing 2020/21 season including the much-coveted Champions League title should see Chealsea rise up the rich list ranks next year.
The oldest football clubs in the world
Revenue breakdown –
Matchday Revenue: €107.7m
Broadcasting Revenue: €155.0m
Commercial Revenue: €183.0m
Estimated Value: £4.5bn / €5.26 / $5.62 bn
7. Paris St-Germain €540.6 million
France’s wealthiest outfit moved back two placed to number seven in 2020. Paris Saint-Germain slipped two places as revenue fell by €95m. PSG suffered the same fate as all French clubs and lost significant matchday and TV income as a result of the Ligue 1 season being cancelled in April.
They badly need Champions League success and came close to lifting the Champions League trophy in 2020 but were toppled by Bayern Munich in Lisbon. They have cut spending recently after breaking transfer records to sign Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
PSG are owned by the Qatar Investment Authority.
The 10 richest football club owners
The bulk of PSG’s revenue profile came from commercial deals. Its two biggest contracts are with Nike (technical kit supplier) and Emirates (shirt sponsor). The team dominates Ligue 1, winning the French division again in 2019, and is a UEFA Champions League staple.
Revenue breakdown –
Matchday Revenue: €92.4m
Broadcasting Revenue: €149.6m
Commercial Revenue: €298.6m
Estimated Value: €3.5 / $3.9 billion
The top World Cup goal scorers
6. Manchester City – €549.2 million
City has seen revenues go through the roof in recent years. Big money has been invested and spent in the club which has rewarded them with plenty of silver wear. Revenue fell by €61m last year but Manchester City remained the sixth richest club in the world.
The 10 biggest sports leagues in the world by revenue
An average of 54,054 fans go to home games and massive broadcasting deals and commercial contracts make up most of the revenue. Its technical kit supplier is Nike and shirt sponsor is Etihad Airways. But a new kit deal with Puma should see revenue figures rise in 2020.
On the 27th of November 2019, it was announced that Silver Lake Management, a US-based PE group mainly investing in technology, are making a $500million (£388million) investment in Manchester City. It is set to own a 10 percent stake in City Football Group following the transaction. This is the largest private equity-backed football club deal of all time.
Another Premier league win and great season in the Champions League during 2020/21 should see Man City as a big riser on the rich list soon.
Revenue breakdown –
Matchday Revenue: €47.6m
Broadcasting Revenue: €217.0m
Commercial Revenue: €284.6m
Estimated Value: €3.6 / $4 billion
The 10 top Premier League goal scorers
5. Liverpool – €558.6 million
Champions Leagues’ glory in 2019 and a second place in their domestic Premier League gave Liverpool a massive revenue boost. They followed this up in 2020 by becoming Premier League champions for the first time in three decades in 2020. They have been exceptional of late, dominating the Premier League and finally rewarding their millions of loyal long term fans.
Jurgen Klopp’s side climbed into the top five from seventh place last year, despite revenue falling by €46m. All Premier League clubs’ 2019-20 income suffered as a result of the pandemic delaying completion of the season.
Revenue breakdown
Matchday Revenue: €82.7m
Broadcasting Revenue: €232.5m
Commercial Revenue: €243.4m
Estimated Value: €3.65 / $4.1 billion
The richest football clubs in England
4. Manchester United – €580.4 million
The Red Devils remain the wealthiest football club in England but they’re dismal performance in Europe is hitting the financial hard. The richest football club in the world in 2017 (and for many years before that) are back one place this year to fourth.
In 2020 they lost 135 million euros, which was a 19% drop in total income from the previous year. Compared to their poor on pitch performance, Manchester United are still a money making machine, they can still pull in the big sponsorship deals which will help them stay close to the top of the rich list for many years to come.
The Glazer family are currently selling the club, if the rumoured price tag of 7 billion is achieved, Man U will become the most valuable club in the world.
Revenue breakdown –
Matchday Revenue: €98.8m
Broadcasting Revenue: €159.9m
Commercial Revenue: €321.7m
Estimated Value: €3.8 / $4.2 billion
The most successful football clubs in Europe
3. Bayern Munich – €634.1 million
The giants of German football and last year’s Champions League winners knocked Man United back a place and rose one place, getting into the top three for the first time.
Their incredibly successful season contributed to a boom in merchandise sales, which put the Bavarian giants second-overall in merchandise sales. European champions Bayern Munich’s revenue fell just €26m last year as their European title helped crystallise the big TV payments, before the end of their financial year.
The Bundesliga giant are the most successful club in German football history, having won a record 29 national titles and 19 national cups. 75,354 fans on average attend Bayern home matches.
Revenue breakdown –
Matchday Revenue: €70.3m
Broadcasting Revenue: €203.3m
Commercial Revenue: €360.5m
Estimated Value: €3.8 / $4.2 billion
The richest teams owners in sport
2. Real Madrid – €714.9 million
Los Blancos lost their grip on first place in 2020 to their Spanish rival Barcelona, but they faired much better in 2020. Real lost only 39 million euros more than in 2019, while Barca dropped 125 million!
The 13-time champions of Europe, Real Madrid generated over €75 million more than anyone else last year.
There was no European glory in 2019 or 2020, but the Spanish superclub benefit from a substantial share of La Liga TV revenue, some very clever cost cutting, and big increases in merchandising.
Real Madrid is also the most followed club on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram which helps keep revenue buoyant. Real are also one of the 10 best football clubs in Europe.
Revenue breakdown –
Matchday Revenue: €108.2m
Broadcasting Revenue: €224.0m
Commercial Revenue: €382.7m
Estimated value – €4.4 / $4.8 billion
1. Barcelona – €715m
Barcelona FC reached number one on the rich list in 2020 after a massive 2019, and has managed to stay on top after a very poor 2020.
The Catalan giants may have been ravaged by an economic crisis but they continued to bring in the big bucks earning the most income in football at 715 million euros.
The club went through some very public turmoil last year with the “Messi saga”, a Champions League thrashing and missing out on a La Liga title.
The greatest football rivalries from around the world
The report highlights the dire situation within the club’s coffers, which is making paying salaries and buying players challenging. Some of the biggest names in football such as Messi and Suarez see Barcelona well-supported around the planet, helping them to stay on top of the rich list. Like their arch rivals Madrid, Barcelona have had a disappointing season, while the English super clubs have done the opposite, we expect some changed=s to the football rich list pretty soon.
Revenue breakdown –
Matchday Revenue: €126.4m
Broadcasting Revenue: €248.5m
Commercial Revenue: €340.2m
Estimated value – €4.4 / $4.8 billion
PledgeSports is a revolutionary crowdfunding and sponsorship platform dedicated to sport.
For all the latest sports news follow PledgeSports on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.