Real Madrid lead club valuation table as Premier League and MLS surge

Real Madrid have been valued at US$9.5bn in the latest Forbes annual ranking of the world’s most valuable football clubs, keeping them top despite recent on-pitch results falling short of their historical benchmark.The study also put Real Madrid’s revenue at US$1.27bn for 2024–25, a figure presented as a record annual haul for any sports team in the dataset.Barcelona ranked second at US$7.5bn, with Manchester United third at US$7.2bn, reinforcing a top tier dominated by global brands with scale across matchday, commercial and media revenue.Liverpool placed fourth at US$6.2bn, followed by Paris Saint-Germain at US$5.8bn and Bayern Munich at US$5.7bn.Manchester City were valued at US$5.5bn and Arsenal at US$5.4bn, before a drop to Chelsea at US$4.2bn and Tottenham Hotspur at US$3.0bn to complete the top 10.The wider top 30 highlights the depth of English football’s commercial footprint, with 11 Premier League clubs included, including mid-table sides such as Brighton, Fulham and Everton valued just below the US$1bn mark.Seven Major League Soccer clubs also made the top 30, reflecting growing investor confidence in the league’s trajectory and the impact of new stadium assets, centralised commercial structures and rising media relevance.Inter Miami led the MLS contingent at US$1.35bn, narrowly ahead of Los Angeles FC at US$1.32bn, with LA Galaxy at US$1.08bn also inside the top 20.The valuation approach cited revenue, operating income, stadium economics and debt as key inputs, pointing to the premium now placed on venue-led matchday monetisation and recurring commercial income.Real Madrid’s profile fits that model, with their rebuilt Santiago Bernabéu continuing to reshape their ability to drive non-matchday events, premium hospitality and brand activations at scale.The ranking also underlines how Champions League qualification remains a major swing factor for clubs outside the top tier, given its impact on broadcast distributions, sponsor inventory and global visibility.With 2026–27 budgets and squad cycles already being set, the latest figures will sharpen boardroom focus on stadium projects, commercial diversification and content capabilities that can close the gap to the game’s new financial ceiling.