Guess who is the second-most valued club in the world

When a good foundation is made, even when things go wrong, the foundation will stay put and will provide a cornerstone for future success. Looking at current Manchester United misery, it’s hard not to glorify the work which Sir Alex Ferguson did when he became the club’s manager. Among those who are not fans of the famous club, there is a (reasonable) argument that United was truly great club only while Ferguson was at the helm, not before or after. If we look it like that, the Scotsman arrived in 1986, when the club was in bad state and won seven titles (the last one in 1967). With Ferguson, Manchester became the global giant, and they won titles, seven before him, 13 with him and none after he was gone in 2013. But his legacy was so big and important that many people believe that United is still a big club, and paradoxaly, according to magazine Forbes, he still is.

The famous business magazine Forbes publishes an annual list of the world's most valuable football teams and the Red Devils came just after Real Madrid, who tops the list with 6.75 billion dollars, while fellow Spanish powerhouse Barcelona sit third in the financial standings at 5.65 billion. In between is United with 6.6 billion and a revenue of 834 million. Clearly the legacy of Ferguson is still paying dividends and keeping the club at the top for 12 years now. Not only the fans believe that United is a big club who will eventually come back to the top, but the sponsors are also thinking the same, giving the Red Devils rich contracts regardless of the results on the pitch. It’s worth noticing however that this list is for the last season (2023/24) and not the just finished one, which means that next year, United won’t be in the second place as they just finished their worst season in the Premier League era.

Bruno tempted by the huge Saudi offer

In February 2025, United published their financial figures for the final three months of 2024 and they confirmed broadcasting revenue had declined by 42 per cent to 61.6 million pounds. That was due to United playing in the Europa League instead of the Champions League this season. The results also showed total revenue was down 12 per cent from the same quarter in the previous year. So, the Red Devils were forced to play season friendlies in Asia just after the season ended in order to raise 10 million pounds in cash. As for others on the list, Liverpool (5.4 billion) and Manchester City (5.3 billion) complete the top five. As expected, English clubs are the most prominent in the top 30 (12 clubs) and Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea all rank in the top 10. There are four clubs from Italy’s Serie A, three from Spain’s La Liga, two from the German Bundesliga and Paris Saint-Germain as the sole representative from France’s Ligue 1.

The world’s 30 most valuable football clubs

Real Madrid, 6.75 billion dollars

Manchester United, 6.6 billion

Barcelona, 5.65 billion

Liverpool, 5.4 billion

Manchester City, 5.3 billion

Bayern Munich, 5.1 billion

Paris Saint-Germain, 4.6 billion

Arsenal, 3.4 billion

Tottenham Hotspur, 3.3 billion

Chelsea, 3.25 billion

Juventus, 2.15 billion

Borussia Dortmund, 2.05 billion

Atletico Madrid, 1.7 billion

Milan, 1.5 billion

LAFC, 1.25 billion

Inter Miami, 1.2 billion

Inter, 1.15 billion

West Ham United, 1.125 billion

Newcastle United, 1.1 billion

LA Galaxy, 1 billion

Atlanta United, 975 million

Aston Villa, 900 million

New York City FC, 875 million

Brighton & Hove Albion, 860 million

Fulham, 850 million

Austin FC, 825 million

Roma, 810 million

Seattle Sounders, 800 million

Crystal Palace, 790 million

D.C. United, $785m