Manchester United returned to the top of
Forbes’ most valuable football teams for the
first time in five years with an estimated net
worth of £2.86bn.
In spite of the Red Devil’s failure to finish
in the top four, the club is still ranked
above Champions League and La Liga
winner Real Madrid as well as Barcelona.
United generated £593million during the
2015/16 campaign which was £60m more
than both top Spanish clubs.
According to the US business magazine,
Barcelona’s current value is £2.82bn, while
Real Madrid is worth £2.77bn.
The Red Devils generated an operating
income of £223m which is by far the most
profitable football club in the world and
£83m more than Real Madrid.
“Manchester United’s return to the top spot
is a testament to their powerful brand and
marketing acumen,” said Mike Ozanian,
assistant managing editor at Forbes Media.
Bayern Munich came in at fourth place
with £2.10bn while Manchester City, who
moved above Arsenal, are valued at
£1.61bn.
The good news for the Premier League is
that six English teams feature in the top
ten with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham
joining Serie A champions Juventus to
make up the top ten.
Forbes’ top 10 world’s most valuable football teams:
Manchester United – US$3.69bn (£2.86bn)
Barcelona – $3.64bn (£2.82bn)
Real Madrid – $3.58bn (£2.77bn)
Bayern Munich – $2.71bn (£2.10bn)
Manchester City – $2.08bn (£1.61bn)
Arsenal – $1.93bn (£1.50bn)
Chelsea – $1.85bn (£1.43bn)
Liverpool – $1.49bn (£1.15bn)
Juventus – $1.26bn (£980m)
Tottenham – $1.06bn (£820m)
