Things have not gone well for Manchester United this season. They were forced to sack former head coach Erik ten Hag, stumbled to a 15th-placed finish in the Premier League and were defeated in the Europa League final.
But despite all that, they remain a commercial juggernaut. New data compiled by Forbes has listed Manchester United as the world’s second-most valuable team in world soccer.
United’s value of $6.6 billion is only topped by Real Madrid ($6.75bn), who lead the list for a fourth consecutive season.
So, how are United still one of the world’s most valuable teams? The first thing to note is that the Forbes list relates to accounting from the 2023/24 season, when United were slightly better in the league and lifted the FA Cup.
But regardless of their on-field performances, Man Utd’s commercial strength has allowed them to bring in huge amounts of revenue every year. They are one of the most followed sports teams in the world and their Old Trafford stadium is the biggest in the Premier League.
Their earning potential is only beaten by Real Madrid, who become the first soccer team to surpass a $1 billion annual revenue. In the 2023/24 period they brought in $1.13 billion, behind only the Dallas Cowboys in all of sport.
That incredible Madrid income figure was boosted by their Champions League triumph, which is thought to have added around $154 million in prize money.
The top five of Forbes’ list of most valuable soccer teams was rounded out by Barcelona ($5.65bn), Liverpool ($5.4bn) and Manchester City ($5.3bn). There are 12 Premier League teams in the top 30, while 15th-placed LAFC ($1.25bn) are the most valuable MLS team.
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