Football is now the world’s largest sports and entertainment show. People from all over the world, all cultures and traditions are watches, play, and enjoy the game. Because of its skyrocketing popularity and enormous audience football is a hell of a big market for doing business and that’s added great value to the game.
Besides World Cup, Copa America, and a few other country-based competitions, modern-day football is all about club games. Here in our article, we will see the top 10 most valuable football clubs in the world in 2023. To measure the value of a club we considered the club’s current performance, history, reputation, achievement, revenue, and players’ performance.
So, let’s start.
1. Manchester City
For the most valuable football club, the first name we have to take is undoubtedly Manchester City. They are now the most dominating club in the whole world. There is no team who doesn’t fear standing in front of the City.
The Blue team has always been on the top seat. Since Pep Guardiola joined City in 2016, it has become more powerful than ever. He earned the team four premier league championship trophies, four EFL Cups, and the FA Cup. In 2021, Man City reached the UEFA Championship league final with Guardiola.
City has fan followers from all over the world. In the 2022 World Cup, their player did an amazing performance. Last time City missed the championship league from the semifinal but this time, they are very much potential to seize the trophy.
Club Revenue
Man City retains on the top of the Deloitte Football Money League list for the second time, and they are the world’s richest football club of 2023.
Last year the club earned a total of 731 million euros which is 13% more than they made the previous season 644.9 million euros.
Man City’s €373m came from the commercial revenue units. Their broadcasting rights produce €294m in revenue. And from the match day revenue, Man City made €64m.
No club ever rises this much faster before. They first made it to the top 5 richest club list in 2015/16 and now look at the club, they are now above everyone. City’s commercial revenue made a new premier league record from €65m to €373m.
Club Achievement
If we start talking about the achievement of Man City, then it will take a huge amount of time. The only thing that hasn’t been won by City yet is the UEFA Championship trophy.
City’s Achievement:
- Won The Premier League trophy five times in 2011/2012, 2013/2014, 2017/2018, 2018/2019, and 2020/2021.
- Won The Football League cup twice in 1936/1937 and 1967/1968.
- City is a six-time FA winner in 1903/1904, 1933/1934, 1955/1956, 1968/1969, 2010/2011, and 2018/2019.
- In 1969/1970 won the European Winners’ Cup once.
Player to Look For in 2023
To become on the list of most valuable teams of 2023, the contribution of Man City’s players is the most.
City’s 2023 most valuable player is Rodri. He has a 100 performance index and scored 2 goals and assist 5. Besides Rodri, City’s main players of the current season are forward Erling Haaland, goalkeeper Ederson Santana De Moraes, defender Nathan Ake, Kevin De Bruyne, and others.
2. Real Madrid
Real Madrid is one of the most widely supported football clubs in the whole world. Unlike most European sporting entities, Madrid members have always owned and operated football fans’ hearts throughout the history of football clubs.
The club is currently worth about 5.7 billion dollars, making the club the most valuable football club in 2023 and the second biggest football club in the whole world. They are the world’s most followed club and always dominate the field.
Los Blancos stay on the top list in every league. Last year they won the UEFA champions league and La Liga. Last year Madrid’s boss Karim Benzema won the Ballon d’Or. The club made some amazing player deals this season and became more powerful.
Madrid finished their most important portion of the stadium work. Now the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium looks far better and will generate more profit.
Club Revenue
Madrid club revenue always stays on the top rank. In 2022 Real Madrid made a total of €713.8m, which is 11% higher than what they earned in 2021- €640.7m.
Madrid earned €318m from their commercial business, that’s always been high in the club’s history. The broadcasting right produces €308m for Madrid. And from the matchday revenue, Madrid made €88m which is very high compared to any other club’s matchday earnings.
Club Achievement
Madrid has a rich history of so many skill full players and coaches. They brought so many trophies and achievements for the club.
Madrid’s Achievement:
- Became the Best club of the 20th century FIFA in 2000.
- Won UEFA Championship League 14 times since 1954.
- Madrid has 34 La Liga trophies which are higher than any other club.
- FIFA Club World Cup winner five times.
- Won Spanish Super Cup two times.
- Three-time Intercontinental Cup Winner.
Player to Look For in 2023
Karim Benzema – Everyone’s eyes are on Benzema. He has scored 11 goals and three assists in the running season, just in 15 appearances.
Vinícius Júnior – The Brazilian star appeared in 24 games and scored 8 goals, and assists 4. He is running for more success.
Toni Kroos – The German midfielder is always a great help to the team. He appeared in 20 games, scoring two goals and assists 3.
Other notable players are – Thibaut Courtois, Rodrygo, Federico Valverde, Andriy Lunin, etc.
3. Liverpool
Reaching the Champions League final last year and three times in the last five years, winning the Premier League in 2020, and recording two second-place finishes around it, everything makes Liverpool now one of the most valuable football clubs in the whole world in 2023. Last season team Jurgen Klopp won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
Liverpool has been among the most shining clubs for the past few years. They were almost unbeatable in the last season. However, this year is not going well for Liverpool, at least not per expectation.
Because of changing ownership and many injury problems, the club is ranked a bit behind its estimated position. However, it’s just March, and by the time of May, they can surely recover from that loss.
Moreover, Klopp ensures that he is not going anywhere even if the club ownership changes. So, that’s very good news for the fans.
Club Revenue
Liverpool increased by 21% of their revenue in 2022 compared to 2021. In 2021 their total revenue was €550.4m, and in 2022, the club generated €701.7m. In the richest football club list, Liverpool came in four. It was the first time they put Manchester United behind.
In the last year, Liverpool’s earnings from commercial deals were €275m. Their TV broadcasting rights generate €314m in revenue for the club. And from matchday, Liverpool earned an enormous amount of money, €112m.
It’s the first time the club earned this revenue from matchday, and it’s because the fans are returning to the stadium. Critics are saying their matchday revenue will increase furthermore in the coming years.
Club Achievements
In the last ten years, Liverpool earned four most important trophies and three of them were achieved in the 2019-20 season.
Liverpool’s Achievement:
- Two-time Champions League winner in 2018/19 and 2004/05.
- Won Europeans Champions Club four times.
- Winner of the FIFA Club World Cup in 19/20.
- English Champion 19 times.
- A four-time UEFA Super Cup winner.
Player to Look For in 2023
Mohamed Salah – In the running season, Salah appeared in 27 matches, scoring 11 goals, and assists 7.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – Played 24 matches a total of 1941 minutes. He scored one goal and two assists.
Roberto Firmino – In 19 games, the Brazilian star scored 8 goals and assists 4.
Honorable mentioned players are – Alisson, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Núñez, Virgil van Dijk, Luiz Diaz, etc.
4. Manchester United
Manchester United is among the world’s biggest football clubs. They have a very rich history and got the most loyal fanbase ever. So many great players played at Old Trafford- Eric Cantona, Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs, Sir Bobby Charlton, Cristiano Ronaldo, and others made the club a global brand, the most valuable football club.
Some of you may raise questions about adding Man Uni to the list. As the club missed the champions league, they are not considered one of the best anymore. However, United is rebuilding itself, and with coach Erik ten Hag the team is regaining their confidence. Plus, Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes got their thunder back so United is powerful once again. Sir Alex Ferguson who was United’s best manager ever told that he is very much optimistic about the newborn of Manu.
Club Revenue
In 2021 Manchester United made €558m; in their next campaign, the club earned €688.6m, which is 23% higher. The club’s performance in 2022 was quite poor, and it didn’t meet the expectations of any fans. However, their increase in revenue was truly shocking, and returning of the great GOAT CR7 had a huge impact on the revenue.
Last year, the Red Devils earned €309m from their commercial deals. €254m came from the broadcasting rights and collected €126m from matchday.
Now, this season United is not in the champions league, and we aren’t certain how this gonna affect the club’s revenue.
Club Achievement
Manchester United started its journey 144 years ago, and over time it became the world’s most valuable football club and one of the most dominating ones.
Manchester United’s Achievement:
- Two-time Champions League Winner.
- Won European Champion Clubs’ Cup Winner once.
- Won Fifa Club World Cup Winner in 2008/09.
- 20 times English Champion.
- Europa League Winner 2016/17.
- Six-time English League Cup Winner.
Players to Look For in 2023
Bruno Fernandes – Appeared in 25 games scoring 5 goals and assists 6. The forward is now United’s one of biggest weapon.
Marcus Rashford – The English star played 26 matches, for a total of 2133 minutes, scoring 14 goals and assists 4.
Some other United squad great players in 2023 are David de Gea, Diogo Dalot, Raphaël Varane, Antony, Lisandro Martínez, and others.
5. Bayern Munich
If any perfect club does exist then it’s surely Bayern Munich. They maintain everything very smoothly, and perfectly, and never fall apart. The club keeps its sustainable, consistent, and reliable business over the years.
Munich always gives the best fight on the field, their techniques and team unity made the club world’s most valuable football club in 2023. They won the Bundesliga title consecutively ten times. Not only in the Bundesliga Bayern Munich dominate the champions league too.
In the 13 campaign, Bayern reached the semi-finals for the eighth time. They finished in the finals two times and won the champions league trophy two times in the last 13 campaigns.
The club faced quite a bad time after their long-time main weapon Robert Lewandowski left for Barcelona. However, Bayern regained their loss from this year’s new deals.
Club Revenue
Each year Bayern Munich made a gigantic amount of revenue from its various commercial deals, broadcasting rights, and matchday earnings. In 2022 the club made a total of €653.6m in revenue, which increased by 7% from the year 2021, €611.4m.
Bayer Munich has multimillion millions dollars sponsorship deals with the world’s most reputed brands like- Allianz, Adidas, Audi, T Mobile, Siemens, Tipico, and other notable companies. From their various commercial deals, Munich made €378m in revenue last year. Their broadcasting rights generated €207m and produced €68m in revenue from matchday.
Club Achievement
Bayer Munich is the most successful German club since the Bundesliga was established in 1963. They won the tournament 28 times.
Bayern Munich’s Achievement:
- Three time Champions League Winner in 19/20, 12/13, and 00/01.
- European Champion Clubs’ Cup Winner in 75/76, 74/75,73/74.
- Won the Fifa Club World Cup Winner in 20/21, 13/14.
- 32-time German Champions.
- UEFA Cup Winner in 1995/1996.
Players to Look For in 2023
Serge Gnabry – The 27 years German star played 24 matches and a total of 1273 minutes. The forward scored 9 goals and assists 4 goals.
Leroy Sané – Appeared in 22 games scoring 7 goals and assists 4. Sane has become the most potential player for the team.
Other notable players of Munich are- Sven Ulreich, Joshua Kimmich, Dayot Upamecano, Eric Choupo-Moting, Jamal Musiala, etc.
6. FC Barcelona
If we look at today’s football then it might seem Barcelona is just a very poor performance club but just go back two years then, we would be able to see what Barcelona truly was. Over time the La Liga club Barcelona made a huge fanbase all over the world.
Barcelona started to fall from its top position because of mismanagement. That caused the club to 1.3 billion in debt. They tried several methods to overcome the situation, but unfortunately, nothing seemed to work out properly. Their biggest pride and the world’s best footballer of the time, Lionel Messi, had to leave the club because of all this.
Last season Barca did a very terrible job in the championship league. They fell out of the tournament in the group stage round and dropped to the Europa League. This was their first Europa League game since the 2003-04 season. Even in the Europa League, Barca got eliminated from the quarterfinal by Eintracht Frankfurt.
Whatsoever the club isn’t on the form doesn’t mean they are finished and will never raise again. With his outstanding skills, Xavi is bringing back the confidence of Barca. He is reforming its old supremacy. Pedri and Gavi also look very promising for the running seasons. Moreover, Lewandowski’s joining Barca bring huge speed and strength to the club.
So, naming Barca in the top 10 most valuable football clubs in 2023 isn’t wrong. They are not just some random team with one day spark, they will return, and they will rule again.
Club Revenue
Barca was on the fourth list of DFML richest club rankings, but they fall to 7th in 2023. In 2022 Barca’s revenue was €638.2m, which is a 10% improvement from 2021 revenue of €582.1m.
But their revenue from TV broadcasting right decile 13%, from €290m in 2021 to €251m in 2022. From commercial revenue, Barca made €284m, but for a significant big club like Barca, the revenue is very low. Barca’s matchday collection from 2022 was €103m in revenue.
Club Achievement
Barcelona is one of the most successful La Liga clubs with 75 domestic titles: 26 La Liga, a record 31 Copa del Rey, a record 13 Supercopa de España, and more.
FC Barcelona’s Achievement:
- Four-time Champions League Winner.
- Won European Champion Clubs’ Cup Winner once.
- Won three Fifa Club World Cup.
- Became Spanish Champion 26 times.
Player to Look For in 2023
Robert Lewandowski – Appeared in 21 matches and played for 1682 minutes in the running season. He scored 15 goals and has 5 assists beside his name.
Jules Koundé – Defender Koundé doing amazing this season, has 11 clean sheets beside his name.
Other valuable players of Barca in 2023- Andreas Christensen, Jordi Alba, Pedri, Ronald Araújo, Ousmane Dembélé, etc.
7. PSG
PSG is one of the fastest-growing European football clubs ever. They become an unstoppable club in their domestic league and also have a great image in the championship league. PSG is very popular for its lavish style of business model. The amount they spend, provide wages, and use for player transfer is enormous. What’s very astonishing is that even after all that expense, the team never stopped making a profit.
PSG brings all the best players to their club. They have the world’s best forward line and the trio of Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, and Neymar. These three players are enough to make the team the world’s most valuable football club, and now they are all playing together.
Even though PSG have all the best player in their club, they never reached to champions league semifinal twice in the last 10 years. In 2020 the club played in the Champions League final, but their previous match was against Atalanta and RB Leipzig, no doubt relatively favorable matches.
In the running season, PSG is doing its best for the championships league. And it’s probably gonna be their last chance in the upcoming few seasons cause after that season, Mbappe, Messi, and many other notable players probably won’t continue with PSG.
Club Revenue
PSG’s total revenue in 2022 was €654.2m, which increased by 18% from 2021 €556.2m in revenue. Their biggest share of revenue came from commercial revenue €383m. PSG’s TV broadcasting generated €139m for the club, and lastly, their matchday earning was €132m in last season.
Club Achievement
In a very short period of time, PSG made itself one of the most important clubs in the European league. All their success and achievements bring so many trophies, fame, and reputation.
PSG’s achievements:
- Won 10 French Championship Cup.
- Cup Winners Cup Winner in 1995-96.
- French Cup Winner 14 times.
- Won French League Cup 9 times.
- Have 11 French Supercup.
Players to Look For in 2023
Lionel Messi – After returning from the Qatar World Cup as the world’s biggest star, the Argentinian GOAT appeared in 22 games. He scored 13 goals and did 13 assists in the running season.
Kylian Mbappé – Mbappe is also doing great on the field. He appeared in 23 matches, scoring 19 goals and assisting 3 goals.
Neymar – Fans and the club manager were in doubt about Neymar’s performance. However, he surprised everyone with an amazing performance, scoring 13 goals and assisting 11 goals in 20 appearances.
8. Chelsea
Chelsea had a rough time last year with all the ownership-changing issues. Roman Abramovich was forced to sell the club due to the Russian and Ukraine wars. Luckily they found a new owner Todd Boehly soon, and he is like to spend money on players transfer, is kinda reckless like the old owner, and very ambitious. So the club didn’t fall apart even after the huge changes, and they are doing great now.
The London-based football club got a very loyal fanbase. They always supported the team at every point. The club has multimillion of dollars sponsorships deals with the world’s most routed companies like Trivia, Go Markets, Zapp, and Yokohama Tires.
Last season the Blues reached the semi-final and finished the Premier League in third place. They played the final games of the FA Cup and League Cup, unfortunately, lost in both games. And in the Championship League, the club made it to the quarterfinal.
Club Revenue
Chelsea’s last season revenue was €568.3m which grew 15% from their 2021 revenue of €493.1m. Chelsea’s commercial revenue is quite good, too. They made €209m in revenue last season. From the TV broadcasting rights, the club earned €277m, and Chelsea’s matchday revenue was €82m.
Club Achievements
Chelsea has always been on the top list of European clubs. But their worldwide success actually started in 1997. In the last two decades, the club has achieved so many things and become unstoppable.
Chelsea’s Achievements:
- Two-time Champions League Winner in 20/21, 11/12.
- Won Fifa Club World Cup Winner once in 2021/22.
- Five-time English Champions.
- Two-time UEFA Supercup Champions.
- Two-time Europa League Winner.
- Won FA Cup Winner 8 times.
Players to Look For in 2023
Thiago Silva – Appeared in 21 games. The defender has 6 clean sheets. Silva has been doing great since the beginning of the season, and he is the club’s biggest power, no doubt about that.
Enzo Fernández – Having a good time with the club, appearing 6 games, and assisting 2 goals.
Other valuable players of Chelsea are- Benoît Badiashile, N’Golo Kanté, Kalidou Koulibaly, Trevoh Chalobah, etc.
9. Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur the London-based English Premier League club, has established itself as one of the most valuable football clubs from the last decade. In every season, the Harry Kane squad is doing amazing. They missed the 2020-21 and 2021-22 for a slight decline.
The club holds the world’s best football players. They got fan followers from all over the world, and they always support the at the point. Every year the club makes a good amount of revenue and improves itself.
The Spurs became more powerful since they hired Antonio Conte. Conte brought huge confidence among the players and fans. The Spurs recently finished their stadium’s construction work, and here they will organize NFL games too. The stadium’s value is approximately £1 billion, and it will increase their revenue by 20%.
Club Revenue
In 2022 Spurs’ total revenue was €523m. It is a 29% increase from what they made in 2021- €406.2m. Tottenham’s biggest amount of revenue share comes from commercial deals. Last, the club made €215m from their commercial revenues. Spurs broadcast rights pay a good amount of money, too; last season it was €182m. And lastly, from the matchday, the club earned €125m in revenue.
Club Achievement
- Won English Champion two times in 60/61 and 50/51.
- UEFA Cup Winner in 83/84, 71/72.
- 8 time FA Cup Winner.
- 4-time winner of the English League.
Players Look For in 2023
Rodrigo Bentancur – Currently, Bentancur is Tottenham’s best player with a 92 index performance. He scored 5 goals and provided 2 assists in the running season.
Eric Dier – Dier is now the best defender for the club with a 134-pass interception. The performance put Dier in 27 ranks of all top 5 European league defensive players.
Other players to look for in Tottenham- are Harry Kane, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Hugo Lloris, Son Heung-Min, and others.
10. Arsenal
Arsenal had a very rough time for the last few seasons. However, from the beginning of the running season, it’s clear that Arsenal is one of the most valuable football clubs in 2023. After 19 games with young superstars Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and William Saliba, the club earned the fifth-highest points tally in Premier League history.
In arguing, critics may say they haven’t won anything yet to be considered for the elite valuable football club list. But did you see their game against Manchester City at the end of the Premier League time? The Gunners surely got something this season and not stepping easily.
Club Revenue
Arsenal’s total revenue in 2022 was €433.5m, which raised 18% from their 2021 revenue of €366.5m. Club’s commercial deal made them €167m, broadcasting rights generated €172m, and from matchday, the club made €94m from matchday revenue.
Club Achievements
- 13-time English Champion.
- Cup Winners in 93/94.
- Won FA Cup 14 times.
- English League Cup Winner in 92/93, 86/87.
Players to Look For in 2023
Gabriel Jesus – Arsenal one of the biggest power is now Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian star appeared in 15 matches and played for 1238 minutes. He scored 5 goals and 5 assists.
Martin Ødegaard – The Norway midfielder appeared in 26 games scoring 10 goals and assists 6.
Bukayo Saka – Rising star England Saka scored 10 goals and 9 assists in his 27 appearances.
Some other notable Arsenal 2023 players- are Gabriel Magalhães, William Saliba, Gabriel Martinelli, and others.
Conclusion
In the above, we have mentioned the top 10 most valuable football clubs in the world in 2023. Some other 2023 valuable clubs are- Napoli, Inter Minal, Juventus, Atlético Madrid, etc. Now, you know everything about the world’s most valuable club. Thank you for being with us all that time. Stay in good health and enjoy football.
