Which football clubs are the most valuable in the world according to Forbes?
The 2016 list has been flooded with Premier League clubs – but who has come out on top?
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Your support makes all the difference.Forbes has released its annual list of the most valuable football teams, with the top 10 featuring more Premier League clubs than any other nation.
While Real and Barcelona lead the way due to their prolonged success and substantial income through Spanish television revenue, England can boat six of the top 10 most valuable clubs in the world.
Manchester United lead the way in third, with the club currently worth $3,317m [£2,625m]. However, while United’s value has increased by just seven per cent, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham can boast huge increases in 2016, along with Italian champions Juventus.
To see the list in full:
Arsenal have increased their club value by 54 per cent to $2,017m [£1,596m] while Spurs represent the biggest increase of an incredible 69 per cent.
The Premier League’s success is unsurprisingly driven by the new broadcasting rights deal agreed with Sky Sports and BT Sport, worth a phenomenal £5.1bn that will start with the 2016/17 season. In comparison, the NFL rights deal attracts about $1bn less, although American football can still boats the most valuable club in the world in the form of the Dallas Cowboys, who beat Real into second as they are valued at $4bn.
In the battle between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the Real Madrid forward comes out on top for a third year in a row. The Portuguese international remains the highest-paid footballer after banking $82.1m last year in salary, bonuses and endorsements, with Messi raking in $76.5m to come second despite winning a fifth Ballon d’Or award.
Click on the gallery above to see the top 10 most valuable clubs in the world, according to Forbes.
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