The beautiful game of football has evolved over the years as the profession is now highly lucrative for athletes, club owners, and administrators. While the high viewership by fans via TV and internet streaming platforms has amassed great wealth for football clubs, the resultant effect is that fans have to pay more (premium value) to support and root for their favorite clubs actively.

The biggest clubs in the world have a plethora of fans from across the globe and various streams of income such as Kit sponsorship, merchandise, TV rights, and matchday ticket sales which makes it unsurprising that these clubs are now ‘franchises,’ raking in hundreds of millions of pounds yearly.

According to Forbes, the average value of the world’s richest football clubs has reached $2.3 billion in 2024, contributing to a total combined value of over $45.7 billion. This represents a 5.1% increase from the previous year.

This article, per rankings from Forbes, will explore the ten most richest football clubs in the world.

Richest football clubs in the world

Arsenal – $2.6 billion

The Gunners experienced a 15% rise in value over the last 12 months with an operating income of $140 million.

The club owned by Stanley Kroenke had an operating income of $140 million and it is currently valued at $2.6 billion

Arsenal have made big strikes on the pitch in recent years, with Mikel Arteta’s young squad growing in maturity and quality and continuing to challenge for the Premier League title.

Chelsea – $3.1 billion

Chelsea’s value grew by 1% and the club owned by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, is currently worth $3.1 billion. The club also had a slight operating income of -$400,000.

Their finances have been watched very closely since Boehly took over in May 2022, and there will be further scrutiny at Stamford Bridge in the months to come.

Kit sponsorship agreements have been a hot topic in the Boehly era, with Infinite Athlete eventually debuting on the front of the shirts in 2023-24.

Tottenham – $3.2 billion

Tottenham saw a significant 14% increase in value and is currently valued at $3.2 billion.

Owned by the Joseph Lewis Family Trust and Daniel Levy, the club had an operating income of $161 million.

The North London side has benefited greatly from their new stadium, with almost 20% of their revenue coming from matchday income.

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) – $4.4 billion

For the third consecutive year, Les Parisiens recorded a loss. Despite an operating loss of $126 million, the club remains highly valuable under Qatar Sports Investments’ ownership.

With a valuation of $4.4 billion, PSG’s value increased by 4%.

On the other hand, the squad has had an overhaul of key players with Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe all departing over the last 18 months.

Bayern Munich – $5 billion

The club, owned by its members, generated an operating income of $84 million. Valued at $5 billion, the Bundesliga giants saw a 3% rise in its value.

The 2022-23 season saw Bayern Munich amass the largest commercial revenue in world football. Their long-running partnership with T-Mobile was extended to approximately £40 million per year.

Manchester City – $5.1 billion

Winning the treble in 2022-23 was a remarkable feat that ensured Manchester City recorded their largest revenue ever. The club, owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is currently worth $5.1 billion.

The Cityzens saw a 2% increase in value and had an operating income of $148 million.

Liverpool – $5.37 billion

Extensions with AXA and Carlsberg have bolstered the club’s revenue. With a valuation of $5.37 billion, Liverpool’s value grew by 2%.

New agreements were struck with UPS, Google, and Peloton, which has seen the club generate hundreds of millions in sponsorship deals.

The club, owned by John Henry and Tom Werner, had an operating income of $102 million.

Barcelona – $5.6 billion

The Spanish giants are valued at $5.6 billion and the club experienced a 2% increase in value over the past 12 months despite an operating loss of $145 million.

The club has been through well-documented financial strife over the last few seasons, which contributed to the uncomfortable departure of Lionel Messi. With the ongoing renovation at Camp Nou, the largest football stadium in Europe, Barcelona has a massive asset awaiting them.

Manchester United – $6.55 billion

Manchester United, valued at $6.55 billion, take the second spot on this year’s list of most valuable football clubs. In February, Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchased a 27.7% stake in the club at an enterprise value of $6.5 billion, paying $33 a share. However, the stock market currently values the team at only $17 a share.

The Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are the primary owners, and the club had an operating income of $187 million. Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS’ investment in Manchester United has injected fresh optimism at Old Trafford.

According to Chris Marangi, a portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds, Manchester United’s stock is seemingly undervalued due to fan dissatisfaction with the Glazer family’s ownership and the team’s disappointing performance in the English Premier League. A control sale of the team, similar to the one pursued by Sheikh Jassim last year, would likely fetch a price significantly higher than $33 per share.

Real Madrid – $6.6 billion

Real Madrid, valued at $6.6 billion, leads the rankings of the richest football clubs. This is the third consecutive year and the eighth time in the past 11 years that Real Madrid has topped the list. The club generated the highest revenue among the top 30 teams, with $873 million, driven by their exceptional performance on the field.

Real were number one every year from 2004-05 to 2014-15, but they have only topped the list twice since then with Manchester United, Barcelona, and Manchester City taking turns as number one.

A deal with HP worth tens of millions annually has bolstered Real Madrid’s commercial revenue.

Their revenue in 2022-23 was 8% higher than the previous season and saw them retain the top spot on the Forbes Rich list for a third successive year.

Since 2014, Real Madrid has secured 15 international titles, including six Champions League trophies, four European Super Cups, and four Club World Cups.

The club is owned by its members and generated an operating income of $76 million over the past year.

Despite its enormous value, investment in Real Madrid is not possible as it is owned by more than 90,000 club members.