Real Madrid Is Most Valued Football Team

Image: Boris Steubel / Getty Images

The world’s five most valuable soccer teams are each worth more than $1 billion now, up 11 percent on average from a year ago, thanks mainly to more Champions League prize money and sponsorship revenues. The best-paid players are doing very well, too, having been shown the way to their own global sponsorship mastery by the consummate self-marketer David Beckham, who retired from the sport last May.

Most Valuable Teams
1. Real Madrid
Value: $3.4 bln (1-yr change: +4%)
Real Madrid generates more revenue than any other team in any sport in the world.
2. Barcelona
Value: $3.2 bln (+23%)
The team has announced that it will expand its stadium’s capacity to 105,000 as part of an $800 million renovation.
3. Manchester United
Value: $2.8 bln (–11%)
Man U’s revenue has doubled since 2010, but it failed to make the lucrative Champions League tournament this year.
4. Bayern Munich
Value: $1.9 bln (+41%) Bavaria’s team captured the 2013 Champions League title.
5. Arsenal
Value: $1.3 bln (0%)
Arsenal takes in $51 million a year from Puma for the right to make its jerseys and $48 million from a sponsorship deal with Emirates.

Top-earning Players
1. Cristiano Ronaldo,  Real madrid
Earnings: $73 mln (salary: $49 mln, endorsements: $24 mln)
Major sponsors: Nike, Samsung, Tag Heuer, Emirates, Herbalife
2. Lionel Messi Barcelona
Earnings:  $65 mln (salary: $42 mln,
endorsements: $23 mln)
Major sponsors: Adidas, Samsung, Pepsi, Turkish Airlines, Herbalife
3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic paris saint-Germain
Earnings:  $34 mln (salary: $30 mln, endorsements: $4 mln)
Major sponsors: Nike, Volvo
4. Neymar Barcelona
Earnings:  $28 mln (salary: $12 mln, endorsements: $16 mln)
Major sponsors: Nike, Castrol, Panasonic, L’oréal, Volkswagen
5. Radamel Falcao monaco
Earnings: $26 mlN (salary: $23 mln, endorsements: $3 mln)
Major Sponsors: Puma, Samsung, Gillette