The 10 Wealthiest Football Clubs In The World
Every year Deloitte release their Football Money League which documents the eye-watering revenue generated by the wealthiest football clubs on the planet.
PledgeSports have helped many teams and clubs fundraise for football, but the teams we have worked with are on the opposite end of the scale to the ten listed below.
This year saw Manchester United become the first club ever to record over £500 million in revenue, with the Glazer-owned side knocking Real Madrid’s chances of topping the rich list for the 12th year in a row.
Overall, Deloitte’s league table looks pretty similar at the top with first, second and third being filled by the same teams since the Football Money League’s inception in 1997.
Combined, the wealthiest football clubs in the world saw an increase of 12% in revenue from last year, with the top ten generating a grand total of £4bn combined.
Without further ado, here’s a countdown of the world’s wealthiest football clubs…
10. Juventus – £255.1 million
The Old Lady are Italy’s biggest club. Outside of their domestic success and consistent quality performance in Europe, the Turin side’s revenue has been given a great boost by their sponsorship deal with Jeep and the sale of over 1.5 million jerseys last year.
9. Liverpool – £302 million
Despite a prolonged absence from the Champions League, Jurgen Klopp’s side has held onto ninth place for the third consecutive year.
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The Merseyside outfit can expect an increase in revenue next season as their Anfield stadium will return to full capacity following renovations.
8. Chelsea – £334.6 million
Through the backing of their billionaire Russian owner, Roman Abramovich, it’s rare to see Chelsea rank outside the top five wealthiest football clubs.
As their Stamford Bridge stadium goes under expansion works this year, perhaps next year will see the Blues return to the top 5.
7. Arsenal – £350.4 million
Matchday revenues keep Arsenal in the top ten wealthiest football clubs and it’s no wonder – a season ticket to watch Wenger’s men fight for 4th is the most expensive in Britain at £1014.
6. Paris St-Germain – £389.6 million
This is the first time France’s wealthiest outfit have dropped out of the rich list’s top five since being famously bought by Qatar Sports Investments for €120 million in 2011.
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Their ranking may plummet further next year should they be pipped to the Ligue 1 title by Monaco.
5. Manchester City – £392.6 million
This is the first time Manchester City have breached the top 5 wealthiest football clubs. Abu Dhabi-owned City had their best ever Champions League run last season after they lost out to eventual winners, Real Madrid, in the semi-finals. The hiring of Pep Guardiola is expected to bring more success to the side in the near future.
4. Bayern Munich – £442.7 million
Bayern charted a monumental 25% increase in income over the last season after they won their 25th Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal Final.
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More domestic success this season coupled with a run to the Champions League semi-final should see the German giants stay in the list’s top five.
3. Real Madrid – £463.8 million
Winning their 11th Champions League and a steady annual revenue gain of 7% wasn’t enough to keep Los Blancos on top for the 12th year running. Could a 12th European triumph this season send Zidane’s side back to the top?
2. Barcelona – £463.8 million
Barcelona topped their mortal enemies, at last, this year, perhaps thanks to the unlikely contributions of Bruce Springsteen. ‘The Boss’ used the Catalonian Nou Camp to host two shows of ‘The River Tour’, earning the club nearly €8 million. They nicked second spot from Real on the finest of margins.
1. Manchester United – £515.3 million
The ‘Red Devils’ have never been far from the top three — briefly toppling out during their 2012/13 season under David Moyes — but this is the first time they’ve hit top spot in over a decade. The club benefited financially from huge sponsorship deals with Chevrolet and Adidas and a return to the Champions League.
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