Manchester United tops soccer’s most valuable list

Manchester United finished this year’s premier league in sixth place. This did not stop the club from keeping its clear lead at the top of soccer’s most valuable club list.

Manchester United has not won the Premiership since 2013 when its legendary manager Alex Ferguson stepped down. According to KPMG, the club increased its valuation to 3.1 billion Euros moving ahead of Real Madrid, with whom it shared the top spot in 2016.

The increase in valuation is more remarkable given that the club did not qualify for the Champions League, an important source of sponsorship and revenue. The team’s position in the premier league would rule out the Champions League for another year, except that by winning the lower-level Europa League, they qualified to play next year. This locks in sponsors like Adidas who have clauses that require a certain level of performance.

Last year United broke the transfer record, paying over a $100 million for Juventus player Paul Pogba. Unfortunately for the team, his return did not spark a much-anticipated revival. The team scored an all-time low 18 wins during the season. When it comes to earnings, United is not alone.

Clubs in the UK consistently generate higher revenues than their European counterparts. This is why six of the most valuable clubs in the world come from the UK.

“regarding media rights value, the English Premier League sits comfortably at the top of European leagues, although other major leagues have outlined well-defined strategies to compete for the attention of global fans,” said Andrea Sartori, KPMG’s global head of sports