Which is the richest football club in the world? With some of the richest football clubs in the world breaking away to join the European Super League, we have updated our list.
As a multi-trillion dollar industry, football is one of the most financially buoyant sectors in the world. The past two decades have seen business moguls like Roman Abrahamovic, Dietmar Hopp, Sheikh Mansour, Dietrich Mateschitz and Andrea Agnelli pump bullion of cash support into the thriving industry.
This has transformed the beautiful game from a leisure recreation to a modern white collar job. The average successful employee in elite football is guaranteed a career-end salary running into millions of dollars.
While all clubs are equal, some are more equal than others. Some clubs boast immense net worth emanating from winning trophies over the past years, while the opulence of others have been accumulated from consistent injection of cash from billionaire owners or player sales.
Taking all of these criteria into cognizance, we have compiled this detailed list on the richest football clubs in the world in 2021.
Richest Football Clubs in the World
1. Barcelona – $4.76billion (£3.46bn)
There is no surprise at Barcelona’s inclusion in this list of richest football clubs in the world, however, they ranking at the pinanncle might be disputed. This is as a result of the club’s overwhelming debt running into billions of euros, which are the aftereffects of several factors centred around poor management.
Since selling Neymar for a world record fee in 2017, Barcelona have gone on to break the Spanish transfer record on Phillip Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele and Antoinne Griezmann, players who have played bit-part roles.
Despite the drop in their transfer net income, the club have one of the most marketable player in the world within their rank, in Lionel Messi. They also boastbthe most valuable squad in LaLiga.
2. Real Madrid – $4.75billion (£3.46bn)
Second on our list are record UEFA Champions League winners, Real Madrid, with a net worth just shy of their local rivals. Madrid are one of the clubs that have justified their money status with consistent trophy hauls in recent years.
Although they are renowned to have built their reputation by signing marquee players, called Galacticos, every year, they rank so high on this list for shrewd management of their fund over the last few years. In 20/21 alone they made over €100 million in revenue, deviantly refusing to make any purchase.
In four of the last six seasons, the club have made recorded profit in their transfer incomings and outgoings.
3. Bayern Munich – $4.22billion (£3.07bn)
The 2020 champions of the world have every case to be one of the richest football clubs in the world. With a title-winning streak of eight Bundesliga triumphs, Bayern are the most successful club in Germany.The Bavarians coincidentally also boast the third-most valuable club in football.
Despite being a global powerhouse, only one of the club’s purchases have crossed the €45 million threshold, their acquisition of French wonderkid, Lucas Hernadez in 2019.
4. Manchester United – $4.2billion (£3.06bn)
The richest club in England are the red half of Manchester, who have almost never left the annjal top half of this ranking. Their wealth reserves is however justified, as no side has won more Premier League titles than the Devils in history.
They flaunted their financial reach in 2016, when they signed Paul Pogba, making the Frenchman the most expensive player at the time, the current English record buy and the current most expensive m of all time.
They their might again in 2019, when they acquired the services of Harry Maguire, making him the most expensive defender in history.
5. Liverpool – $4.1billion (£2.98bn)
When John Henry bought Liverpool Football Club for £300 million in 2010, the Reds were a side plummeting in both prestige and value. It has taken them a while, but they are now one of the richest football clubs in the world.
The Merseyside side boast the most valuable defender in history as well as two of the best and most valuable African players. They have been certified domestic, European and World champion in the last three years, skyrocketing them up the money league.
6. Manchester City – $4billion (£2.91bn)
Another club whose position on this list might be met with widespread contention, Manchester City are the sixth richest football club in the world. The blue half of Manchester have the richest football owner at the helm of affairs which has come handy in recent years.
Manchester City were the most successful club in the England in the past decade, winning four league titles under three different managers. They are also the world’s most valuable club.
7. Chelsea – $3.2billion (£2.33bn)
The armies of Russian mogul, Roman Abrahamovic, Chelsea Football club are the seventh richest football club in the world. Since being acquired by the billionaire, the London side have enjoyed waves of domestic and international success.
Excluding Liverpool’s recent triumph, Chelsea are the only English club in the past twelve years to have won a UEFA Champions League. In 2020, they reiterated they financial capability in June when they splurged a record €247 million in expenditure on just five players.
8. Arsenal – $2.8billion (£2.04bn)
Another London club, this time North side in the UK capital, is Arsenal football club. The record winners of the FA Cup, Arsenal have the least valuable squad on this list of richest football clubs in the world. They are also the only side not in the top 10 of most valuable team in football.
9. Paris Saint-Germain – $2.5billion (£1.82bn)
If asked at random, Paris Saint-Germain would be the popular choice for the richest football club in the world. The French side boast two of the world’s most expensive and valuable players in Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
The club is funded by oil-rich Qatar Sports Investments, which makes them only the second state-owned club in the world, along with Saudi-backed Manchester City.
10. Tottenham Hotspur – $2.3billion (£1.67bn)
While all of the clubs on this list have earned their wealth status from trophy wins and heritage, Tottenham Hotspur present an exception to that trend.
The North London club have won just 3 trophies in the past 30 years, despite changing managers 21 times. However, good finance management and a consistent feature in Europe’s elite competition has burgeoned their resources. Despite being the only side on this list to have never won a league a title, Tottenham are one of the richest football clubs in the world.
Richest Football Clubs in the World 2021
Here is a recap of the richest football clubs in the world for simplified and easy reading.
1. Barcelona – $4.76billion (£3.46bn)
2. Real Madrid – $4.75billion (£3.46bn)
3. Bayern Munich – $4.22billion (£3.07bn)
4. Manchester United – $4.2billion (£3.06bn)
5. Liverpool – $4.1billion (£2.98bn)
6. Manchester City – $4billion (£2.91bn)
7. Chelsea – $3.2billion (£2.33bn)
8. Arsenal – $2.8billion (£2.04bn)
9. Paris Saint-Germain – $2.5billion (£1.82bn)
10. Tottenham Hotspur – $2.3billion (£1.67bn)
