The world’s 30 most valuable soccer teams are worth an average of $2.66 billion, according to CNBC’s Official Global Soccer Team Valuations 2026. This number puts soccer’s average team value behind that of the National Football League, whose average team is worth $7.65 billion , the National Basketball Association, at an average of $5.52 billion , and Major League Baseball, at $2.95 billion , and puts it ahead of the National Hockey League, at $2.2 billion , according to CNBC’s official team valuations. Teams at the top of CNBC’s soccer rankings are global brands that collect big piles of cash from tickets, sponsorships and broadcasting rights. Teams that make strong runs in the Union of European Football Associations Champions League — an annual competition for the Continent’s best teams — also rake in a lot of money. Last year, Paris Saint-Germain earned 144.4 million euros (US$156 million) by winning the league, according to UEFA. PSG’s value is up 16% from last year, to $5.3 billion, enough for seventh place on CNBC’s list. On May 30, PSG and Arsenal, ranked eighth on CNBC’s list at $4.8 billion, will face off in the Champions League final in Budapest. Both teams have already secured huge payouts from participating in the tournament, with the winner standing to make an additional 6.5 million euros (US$7.55 million, based on current exchange rates), according to UEFA. Real Madrid, the most valuable soccer team for the second consecutive year, is now worth $7.5 billion, 12% more than last year. The Spanish side reported $1.26 billion in revenue for the 2024-25 season, the most ever for a soccer team and just $10 million less than the revenue of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys for the 2024 season. The Cowboys are the top revenue team in any sport, according to CNBC’s team valuation database. Real Madrid sits atop soccer’s financial pantheon thanks in part to its wild success on the pitch: It has won a record 36 La Liga titles and a record 15 Champions League trophies. The team notched $642 million in commercial revenue last season, the most ever for a soccer team, according to CNBC’s valuation database. Commercial revenue includes sponsorships, merchandising, non-soccer events and other operations. Barcelona, which leapfrogged Manchester United, moved to second place on CNBC’s global soccer valuations from third last year with a value of $6.4 billion, 13% more than a year ago. The team reported $1.05 billion in revenue with $564 million in commercial revenue, both second most in CNBC’s rankings. Barcelona has 29 La Liga titles and has won the Champions League five times. Although it fell to third in CNBC’s rankings, Manchester United increased 5% in value from last year, to $6.3 billion. Manchester United posted the most match-day revenue — gate receipts, suite rentals, concessions, parking, corporate hospitality — of any English soccer team: $206 million. The Red Devils also had the highest earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, of any soccer team in CNBC’s rankings, at $234 million. Inter Miami, now worth $1.6 billion, increased 60% in value, the biggest percentage increase of any team on CNBC’s list. The reigning Major League Soccer champions generated $215 million in revenue last season, according to a person familiar with the team’s finances, who asked not to be named because they are not authorized to discuss the matter. That revenue is a record for an MLS team. Inter Miami moved into the new, privately funded Nu Stadium at Miami Freedom Park in April. The move could boost the team’s revenue to around $250 million this season, according to the person. New York City Football Club, or NYCFC, which currently plays in Yankee Stadium, did not make CNBC’s list last season. NYCFC is on track to begin playing in its new, privately financed stadium in the New York borough of Queens during the summer of 2027. Revenue should increase from $90 million in 2025 to north of $200 million in 2027, according to a person familiar with the team’s finances, who asked not to be named because the matter is private. CNBC values NYCFC at $1.55 billion, No. 15 on this year’s list. European teams dominate CNBC’s list because of the enormous revenue advantage they have over U.S. teams. England is represented by 12 teams, followed by the U.S. with seven, Italy with four, Germany and Spain with three each, and France with one. Methodology CNBC uses enterprise values — equity plus net debt — to measure team values. CNBC considers historical transaction valuations, profitability, stadium economics, league standings and European competitions. Revenue and EBITDA figures are for the 2024-25 season for European teams and for the 2025 season for MLS teams. Team values and debt are as of April 8, 2026. For the European teams, which report financial results in euros or pounds, CNBC converted revenue and EBITDA figures to U.S. dollars based on the average exchange rates during the 2024-25 season (1 euro = $1.08 and 1 pound = $1.29). Team values and debt figures have been converted to U.S. dollars using the exchange rates as of April 8, 2026 (1 euro = $1.16 and 1 pound = $1.33). Sources for CNBC’s Official Global Soccer Team Valuations include the teams’ annual reports and documents; team executives and investors; research reports from banks, brand consultancies and credit rating agencies; and sports bankers. CNBC also used the annual Deloitte Football Money League report and Swiss Ramble , a blog about the business side of soccer, to check some of our revenue and EBITDA figures. European teams break down their revenue into three categories: match-day revenue, broadcasting revenue and commercial revenue. Match-day revenue is largely derived from gate receipts, including ticket and corporate hospitality sales, as well as premium seating and membership revenue. Broadcasting revenue includes prize money and distributions from participation in domestic leagues, cups and UEFA competitions. Commercial revenue includes sponsorships, merchandising, non-soccer events and other operations. CNBC excludes gains and losses from player loans and player trading from our figures. MLS teams do not break down their revenue into categories. — CNBC’s Hector Fadraga contributed to this report.
