Barcelona has surpassed its primary league rival, Real Madrid, in market value to become the wealthiest football club in the world. According to Monday's Forbes report, the club is now valued at $4.76 billion.
Barcelona have gone past their league’s arch-rivals Real Madrid in market valuation to become the world’s most valuable football club. According to a list published by Forbes magazine on Monday Barcelona’s valuation is currently at $4.76 billion.
This marks the first time in 16 years that neither Real Madrid nor Manchester United has occupied the top spot. Real Madrid sits in second place with a valuation of $4.75 billion. Considering Real Madrid's history of leading this list five times, Barcelona's ascent to number one is a remarkable milestone.
According to Forbes, the average value of the world's top 20 clubs has risen to $2.28 billion, a 30% increase from two years ago. Despite this, the COVID-19 pandemic severely damaged global sports, stripping clubs of crucial matchday income since fans couldn't attend games. Forbes' assistant managing editor, Mike Ozanian, noted that the financial recovery is slow, as many top European leagues still operate with restricted crowd capacities, further hurting revenues.
“The pain is far from over, with a worsening decline in matchday revenue during the current season, as most of the teams in Europe’s top leagues still permit few fans to attend games,” wrote Forbes’ assistant managing editor Mike Ozanian.
Bayern Munich, the reigning European champions, takes the third spot, while the top 10 is heavily populated by Premier League giants, including Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Paris Saint-Germain, the French champions and recent Champions League finalists, climbed to ninth place with a valuation of $2.5 billion. Their value surged by 129% over two years, the most dramatic increase of any club in the top 10.
Here is the breakdown of the world's 20 most valuable football clubs and their estimated market worth: 1. Barcelona ($4.76B), 2. Real Madrid ($4.75B), 3. Bayern Munich ($4.215B), 4. Manchester United ($4.2B), 5. Liverpool ($4.1B), 6. Manchester City ($4B), 7. Chelsea ($3.2B), 8. Arsenal ($2.8B), 9. Paris Saint-Germain ($2.5B), 10. Tottenham Hotspur ($2.3B), 11. Juventus ($1.95B), 12. Borussia Dortmund ($1.9B), 13. Atletico Madrid ($1B), 14. Inter Milan ($743M), 15. Everton ($658M), 16. AC Milan ($559M), 17. AS Roma ($548M), 18. West Ham ($508M), 19. Leicester City ($455M), 20. Ajax ($413M).
1. Barcelona – $4.76 billion
2. Real Madrid – $4.75 billion
3. Bayern Munich – $4.215 billion
4. Manchester United – $4.2 billion
5. Liverpool – $4.1 billion
6. Manchester City – $4 billion
7. Chelsea – $3.2 billion
8. Arsenal – $2.8 billion
9. Paris Saint-Germain – $2.5 billion
10. Tottenham Hotspur – $2.3 billion
11. Juventus – $1.95 billion
12. Borussia Dortmund – $1.9 billion
13. Atletico Madrid – $1 billion
14. Inter Milan – $743 million
15. Everton – $658 million
16. AC Milan – $559 million
17. AS Roma – $548 million
18. West Ham – $508 million
19. Leicester City – $455 million
20. Ajax – $413 million