Any idea the financial bubble would burst at the top of men’s football has proven to be false thus far.
The pursuit of a European Super League was emphatically knocked back by media and fans alike, but the repercussions have been minimal.
The world’s biggest football clubs are generating hundreds of millions each year. Player wages and transfer fees continue to soar, as do television subscriptions and ticket prices.
The amount of money sloshing around the clubs who are often favoured in football betting is hard to even comprehend.
Interest in club football shows few signs of waning. The sports betting industry reflects the worldwide appeal of the sport – fans are tuning into Europe’s elite leagues in record numbers each year.
Without further ado, let's take a look at those teams who rank high on the money chart. Here are the 10 richest football clubs in the world in 2023, according to Statista’s revenue figures.
What’s the richest football club in the world?
Per the Deloitte Money League, Manchester City remain the richest club in world football in 2023.
Their revenue increased season-on-season once again, which coincides with further on-pitch dominance from the Abu-Dhabi-backed superclub.
Real Madrid retain second spot in the rankings, while there was movement behind them, with Liverpool claiming the final podium place.
Manchester United climbed from fifth to fourth, while Bayern Munich slipped from third down to sixth. PSG are up to fifth in the 2023 list, having placed sixth a year prior.
Top 20 richest clubs in 2023
Unsurprisingly, this list is dominated by the Premier League. England’s topflight has by far the biggest television deals, and draws in the largest audiences worldwide.
Three of the top four clubs are from the Premier League, and 11 of the top 20. The other super clubs retain places in the top seven, but Barcelona’s well-documented financial issues have come home to roost, as they fall from top spot in 2021 to seventh on this list.
Spain and Italy are represented with three teams apiece, albeit no Serie A outfit sits in the top 10.
Inter and Milan are down in 14th and 16th respectively, sandwiching West Ham and well behind Borussia Dortmund (the second of two Bundesliga clubs).
Such is the financial disparity in Ligue 1, football fans will not be shocked to see PSG as the only French club in the top 20.
These are the 20 richest clubs in the world in 2023 listed in order of revenue…
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Manchester City - £541.6 million
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Real Madrid - £528.8 million
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Liverpool - £519.9 million
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Manchester United - £510.2 million
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PSG - £484.6 million
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Bayern Munich - £484.2 million
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Barcelona - £472.8 million
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Chelsea - £421 million
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Tottenham - £387.4 million
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Arsenal - £321.1 million
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Juventus - £296.8 million
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Atletico Madrid - £291.8 million
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Borussia Dortmund - £264.4 million
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Inter - £228.5 million
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West Ham - £223.2 million
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Milan - £196.3 million
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Leicester - £186.9 million
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Leeds - £165.5 million
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Everton - £158.3 million
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Newcastle – £157.3 million
A look at the 10 richest clubs in the world according to rankings from prior to the 2022/23 season...
10) Tottenham - £389.20 million
Tottenham missed out on the Champions League in 2020-21 and 2021-22 amid a slight decline.
The club fended off interest in Harry Kane, however, and returned to Europe’s premier competition in 2022 thanks to the hiring of Antonio Conte.
Spurs lag behind the rest of the Premier League’s Big Six from a commercial standpoint, yet they still place above Arsenal in the 2022 revenue standings (the Gunners haven’t played Champions League football since 2016-17).
Healthy income figures have aided Spurs’ efforts to reinforce the squad over the last couple of windows, with Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur all arriving in 2022.
9) Juventus - £414.99 million
Juventus’ string of Scudetti ended in 2020. Since then, the Old Lady have fallen off the pace at the top of Italian football with consecutive fourth-place finishes.
They still had by far the largest revenue of any Serie A club in 2022, with only Inter and Milan placing in the top 20.
Matthijs de Ligt departed for a healthy fee to Bayern Munich, and Juve remained in the Champions League despite their struggles, which has helped to keep the revenue mark high.
In January 2023, the club were at the centre of another scandal involving the valuation of players, which led to a sizeable points deduction, and could see their revenue tumble in 2023.
8) Chelsea - £472.20 million
The 2022-23 season has been a rough one in Chelsea predictions, but the Blues continue to generate sizeable revenue thanks to their involvement in the Champions League, hefty sponsorship deals and worldwide fanbase.
There was a period of chaos in 2022 with Roman Abramovich’s forced sale, but new owners were found, and Todd Boehly has led an ambitious, at times reckless, attempt to overhaul the club.
Chelsea are not having their best season on the pitch, but they are entertaining off it.
7) Liverpool - £526.99 million
Liverpool pushed Manchester City all the way (again) in the 2021-22 Premier League season and reached another Champions League final.
The calendar year ended in less exciting circumstances for the club, however, with murmurs of an ownership change and some poor results.
It seems a transitional period is beginning with the squad requiring a refresh and uncertainty about Jurgen Klopp’s future.
After years competing on a domestic and continental level, Liverpool could be set for a few years out of the spotlight.
6) PSG - £532.63 million
In a different financial galaxy from the other Ligue 1 teams, it is no surprise PSG betting predictions so often expect a heavy victory for Christophe Galtier’s side.
Their financial backing and revenue sources are always going to be a controversial topic, such are the ties between the club and the Qatari state.
That wealth has transformed PSG into a superpower of European football, possessing arguably the greatest forward line of all-time.
It is yet to bring the prize they most crave, however, after an embarrassing Champions League last 16 exit in 2022.
5) Manchester United - £534.25 million
Manchester United were in a much better place at the end of 2022 than they were at the start. The second half of 2021-22 was a dysfunctional time for the club, and Cristiano Ronaldo asked to leave in the summer.
It speaks to the size of Manchester United as a business that they place fifth on this list even with their relative on-pitch struggles since Alex Ferguson retired.
By the start of 2023, the Red Devils were in their best position in years with Ronaldo gone and Erik ten Hag overseeing a strong run of form.
4) Barcelona - £557.61 million
Despite being seemingly skint at points, and running into issues with registering players, Barcelona are still fourth on the revenue list for 2022.
A true superclub, it speaks to the grotesque mismanagement which took place to end up in such financial strife.
With Xavi at the helm and a healthy list of recent signings, Barcelona have reached something resembling stability of late. They are again a force to be reckoned with on the pitch.
3) Bayern Munich - £585.01 million
Bayern Munich won their 10th consecutive Bundesliga title in 2022. Their revenue was almost double that of Borussia Dortmund, and no other German club placed in the top 20.
Much like PSG, FC Hollywood’s are as far clear financially as they are when it comes to racking up wins.
There are signs of fragility in 2022-23, though, with pressure mounting on Julian Nagelsmann.
The sale of Robert Lewandowski has weakened Die Roten, though they remain among the favourites in Champions League outright odds.
2) Real Madrid - £613.21 million
Led by Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, Real Madrid had an historic 2022, claiming yet another Champions League in dramatic fashion and cruising to a La Liga title.
Carlo Ancelotti guided Los Blancos to even more hardware, even with a squad which looked to be set for a rebuild of sorts.
Where the club has often been guilty of prioritising reputation over suitability in the transfer market, they have recruited superbly in recent seasons, including the acquisitions of Antonio Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouameni in the 2022 summer transfer window.
1) Manchester City - £617.24 million
Manchester City might not be among the best supported clubs in the world, but they are certainly among the wealthiest on the planet. The way City have generated such revenues has been a topic of debate.
One thing that cannot be debated, though, is how the club has transformed since the current ownership took charge, and how dominant they have been under Pep Guardiola.
City are a superpower of world football. Much like his Barcelona teams, Guardiola’s City are the benchmark for others to beat. It is only a matter of time until they get their hands on the Champions League.
Top 20 richest clubs in 2022
The Premier League provided four of the eight richest clubs in 2022, but only the two Manchester clubs made it into the top six.
Liverpool and Chelsea wrapped up the top eight before Juventus in ninth (by far the top dog among Serie A teams) and the two north London clubs in 10th and 11th.
Borussia Dortmund were the second of two Bundesliga teams, and came in behind the Premier League’s traditional big six. Atletico Madrid were the third and final representatives from La Liga, placing only narrowly ahead of Inter.
The bottom six teams illustrate the Premier League’s depth of financial power, with five of the final six playing in England’s top tier. Zenit were the only Russian team on the list.
Here are the 20 richest clubs in 2022 ordered by revenue...
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Manchester City - £564.2 million
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Real Madrid - £560.5 million
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Bayern Munich - £534.9 million
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Barcelona - £509.2 million
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Manchester United - £488.1 million
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PSG - £486.6 million
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Liverpool - £481.5 million
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Chelsea - £431.4 million
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Juventus - £379.2 million
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Tottenham - £355.3 million
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Arsenal - £320.6 million
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Borussia Dortmund - £295.3 million
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Atletico Madrid - £291.1 million
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Inter - £289.5 million
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Leicester - £223.5 million
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West Ham - £193.8 million
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Wolves - £191.8 million
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Everton - £190.8 million
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Zenit - £185.5 million
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Aston Villa - £181.3 million
All figures were converted from EUR to GBP on 16th November 2023.
