Real Madrid and Manchester United are the two most valuable clubs in the world, according to a study conducted by KPMG (h/t ESPN). The report titled “Football Club’s Valuation: The European Elite” has estimated the worth of the Santiago Bernabeu outfit and the Old Trafford outfit to be €2.9 billion.
Barcelona help round of the top 3 and trail their arch-rivals and the Red Devils in valuation by around €100 million as the Camp Nou outfit is valued at €2.8 billion.
Jean-Luc Leroux, head of KPMG’s Sports Network, said: "It's a study that associates several criteria.These include the popularity of clubs with their number of followers on social media, their sporting potential given the value of their players, TV rights and their ownership situation, notably of the stadiums.
"It allows clubs to compare themselves with each other, to see where they are in the European hierarchy and how they progress from one season to another."
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Bayern Munich are the only German club to make the list and are the 4th most valuable club in the world, followed by struggling English Premier League giants Arsenal – who are valued at €1.7 billion, almost €1.2 billion less than their Manchester counterparts.
Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool are the remaining three clubs from England to have made it into the elite list of the top 10 most valuable clubs in the world. Juventus, meanwhile, are the only Serie A club to have made it to the list.
Paris Saint-Germain are the biggest movers in the overall rankings, with the club’s value having soared since 2011 when it was only €100m. Ever since the takeover by Qatar Sports Investment of the Parc des Princes outfit its value has increased like clockwork and the figure stood at €540m after a successful domestic season in 2014/15. The club is currently valued at €843m, almost 8 times more than what it was worth less than 6 years ago. They are also the only representatives from Spain.
The latest study underlines the abundance of riches available to the Premier League clubs, while also highlights the difference in revenue of clubs in Spain and England to that of clubs in Germany and Italy.
Here is the entire list of most valuable clubs in the world:
| Rank | Name of Club | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Madrid | €2.9 billion |
| Manchester United | €2.9 billion | |
| 3 | Barcelona | €2.8 billion |
| 4 | Bayern Munich | €2.2 billion |
| 5 | Arsenal | €1,7 billion |
| 6 | Manchester City | €1.6 billion |
| 7 | Chelsea | €1.5 billion |
| 8 | Liverpool | €1.3 billion |
| 9 | Juventus | €983 million |
| 10 | Paris Saint-Germain | €843 million |
