It’s World Cup season everyone! Be excited! Soccer is a great sport that really needs to get more exposure and backing in the United States. We’re slowly building the sport here in the United Sates but I wonder if it’s because people are finally recognizing just how much money a popular soccer team can bring in. Soccer is world’s widest spread sport and certain foreign teams are so popular that they are worth more than you’d probably think.. Here are the most valuable soccer clubs in the world.
10. Liverpool – $691 Million
Liverpool F.C. is a part of the extremely competitive English Premiere League. The club’s most notable player is Luis Suarez, yes, the same guy that decided to bite Italy’s Georgio Chiellini during the World Cup about a week ago. Liverpool actually had a very successful 2013-14 Premiere League season finishing in second behind Manchester City by only 2 points. Suarez and teammate Daniel Sturridge led the league in scoring with a very good 52 goals.
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9. Juventus – $850 Million
Juventus is an Italian based club that has been dominant in its league and won the past three years. The team is known for it’s bold black and white striped jerseys and features two star players; Carlos Tevez and one of the world’s top goalies Gianluigi Buffon. With their consistent success Juventus F.C. is able to make a revenue of $354 million while reaching the league finals each year earns the club a nice $85 million.
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8. AC Milan – $856 Million
AC Milan is another Italian Serie A team, but unfortunately they finished in the low 8th position this year. The owner would like to build a new stadium but might have to sell a portion of the team to do so, but maybe it will help bring a boost to the club that it hasn’t had in awhile. The team is home to Italian star Mario Balotelli as well as Brazil’s Robinho. AC Milan is known for being a top Italian team, but they seem to just be riding out the end of an era and will reset everything soon enough.
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7. Manchester City – $863 Million
I’m a little shocked that the Manchester City club isn’t highest on the list because of the success they always seem to be having in the English Premiere League. Man. City won the Premiere League this year and has a solid roster all the way through. This squad is one of the older Premiere League teams and bring in around $411 million in revenue with a loss of only $18 million at most. England loves its soccer, and most people choose Man. U or Man. City; it’s a big deal.
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6. Chelsea – $868 Million
Chelsea is yet another English Premiere League team (I told you it was the best of the best) who is known for signing a bunch of great players rather than grooming them through the club’s system. The team finished third in the most recent season and is home to star players such as Peter Cech, Cesc Fabregas, Fernando Torres, and John Terry. In 2013, Chelsea signed a nice $450 million endorsement deal with Adidas, which will boost the team’s revenue higher than its current $394 million. Chelsea is another team that seems to always be floating towards the top of the league standings each year because they find a way to improve their roster.
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5. Arsenal – $1.33 Billion
The Gunners are an old English Premiere League club that was founded 128 years ago. They had a successful season last year coming in fourth place but seem to be struggling a bit lately. The team has found recent success by adding German star Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid as a starter who immediately improved the team’s talent level. Arsenal collected $370 million in revenue and should challenge for the Premiere League’s top spot.
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4. Bayern Munich – $1.85 Billion
Bayern Munich is a dominant German team that seems to win the Bundesliga nearly every year. They have one of the best player rosters around that features some of the best names from all around the world. The club earned a $561 million revenue last year and has brought in well over 30,000 fans in just one year. Staple players include the Netherland’s Arjen Robben, France’s Franck Ribery, and the hometown stars, Germans Thomas Muller and Bastion Schweinsteiger. Bayern Munich doesn’t look like they are going anywhere because they have one of the most solid lineups around and plenty of financial backing to continue being a powerhouse in the Bundesliga.
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3. Manchester United – $2.81 Billion
Manchester United is probably one of the most easily recognized soccer teams around the world that has the largest global fan base. Man. U is the one team I’ve always seen and known people supporting even when soccer wasn’t nearly as big. Last year, the team’s sponsorship revenue jumped from $62 million in 2010 to $138 million as well as a total revenue of $551 million. The team is lead by England’s hero, Wayne Rooney, but they have a solid roster of stars otherwise. The team struggled last year and finished 7th, but never count out Man. U because they will always find their way back to the top.
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2. Barcelona – $3.2 Billion
Barcelona has found tons of success through having one of the best players to ever play the sport; Lionel Messi. The team is getting a fresh new addition to its stadium that will allow way more fans to come see the team play and help boost their revenue above the most recent $627 million mark. The team has an amazing roster and is always battling for Spain’s top spot in Real Madrid and to win Copa Del Rey. Barcelona has a lot of big names on their squad and is easily one of the hottest teams around right now, mainly due to the awareness that Messi has brought them.
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1. Real Madrid – $3.44 Billion
Yes, the two Spanish rival teams take the top spot. Again, getting a majority of their draw through having the second best modern player, Christiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid is able to pull in a revenue of $675 million. The team just signed the hottest star around Gareth Bale, to a massive deal that has completely been worth it so far. Real Madrid has been able to get into the Copa Del Rey semifinals for four years in a row and pulls in the most revenue compared to any other team.
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