Real Madrid Leads Forbes 2026 Valuation List

Forbes’ 2026 “World’s Most Valuable Soccer Teams” ranking places Real Madrid at the top with an enterprise value of $9.5 billion, $2 billion ahead of Barcelona and marking the club’s fifth consecutive year at No. 1.

Real Madrid is, for the fifth consecutive year, the most valuable football club in the world according to 'Forbes'

Real Madrid generated $1.27 billion in revenue during the 2024-25 season, a 12 % rise that set a new record for any soccer club and surpassed the $1.23 billion earned by the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. Across the 30 clubs surveyed, the average valuation is $2.9 billion, up 21 % from the previous year.

Real Madrid is, for the fifth consecutive year, the most valuable football club in the world according to 'Forbes'

On the pitch, Real Madrid finished second to Barcelona in La Liga and exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage for two straight seasons, yet its commercial engine accelerated through stadium upgrades, global sponsorships and brand expansion.

ESPN

U.S. investors now control more than half of Premier League clubs and hold stakes in nine Serie A teams and three La Liga clubs, driving European club valuations to an average 5.1 × revenue—significantly lower than the 8.9 × multiple typical in MLS and above 10 × in major North-American leagues.

Forbes

Real Madrid’s statement called the $9.5 billion valuation “the most valuable football club in the world for the fifth consecutive year,” citing “unprecedented sporting success” and “global commercial appeal.” Forbes described the $1.27 billion revenue as a “record for a soccer club,” while ESPN highlighted that the earnings now exceed those of the Dallas Cowboys.

Real Madrid is, for the fifth consecutive year, the most valuable football club in the world according to 'Forbes'

Fans have voiced “hand-wringing” over the gap between Real Madrid’s commercial boom and its recent trophy drought, while analysts warn that high valuation multiples could expose owners to future market corrections.

Forbes

Revenue is listed as $1.265 billion in the club’s own release, $1.27 billion in Forbes and ESPN, reflecting minor rounding differences; the valuation model also omits player-trading income and stadium real-estate values.

Forbes

• “27 billion in revenue, up 12% from its mark the year prior, already a record for a soccer club.” — Forbes, The World’s Most Valuable Soccer Teams 2026

Forbes

• “23 billion that NFL franchise the Dallas Cowboys brought in in 2024.” — ESPN, Real Madrid Break Annual Revenue Record

ESPN

• “There are just so many Americans with cash who like sports, and the American market is kind of closed off to a lot of these owners,” — European soccer insider, quoted in Forbes

Forbes