Who is the richest football club in the world? Man City and Newcastle United among top 30 wealthiest teams

As the Premier League and Women’s Super League heats up, ready for what could be two thrilling title chases and a desperate relegation battle, the figures have now been published revealing who the richest clubs are in the world.

The Deloitte Money League profiles the highest revenue generating clubs in the world of football and for the first time ever, the 2023 publication is also analysing the revenue generated by the women’s teams alongside the men’s for the 2021/22 season.

Naturally, the COVID years have affected the overall revenue for the clubs in the past few seasons but 21/22 saw a 13% increase with the total revenue for the top 20 clubs standing at €9.2bn (around £8bn) with the return of concerts and stadium tours as well as the return of fans listed as the main reasons for the rise.

However, the Money League has also noted that while the average revenue of the clubs has increased from €409m in 2020/21 to €462m in 2021/22, this is still just below the record levels which were seen three years ago (€464).

So, who are the 20 clubs featuring in Deloitte Money Super League 2021/22?

Who are the top 10 clubs?

It may come as no surprise that Manchester City is the Super League’s top dog for the 2021/22 season, much like they were in the Premier League. They recorded a 2022 revenue of £619.1m and 2021 revenue of £571.1m with the largest proportion of their income (51%) coming from the commercial side of the business. Deloitte report that £4.4m of their revenue came from the affiliated WSL team.

Runners-up to the two-time Champions are Real Madrid. In a year that saw them gain domestic and European success, the Spanish giants recorded an overall revenue of £604.5m in 2022 seeing an 11% increase on the previous year. As a result, they were able to increase their wages significantly from the previous two seasons. This is now their fourth year as runners-up having fallen from the top spot in 2018.

Premier League runners-up Liverpool come in third in the DFML with a 2022 revenue of £594.3m recorded. This is a giant 27% increase from the previous year with the return of fans to Anfield the biggest factor to the rise.

The fourth placed DFML side is Manchester United, who struggled to a sixth place finish at the end of the 2021/22 season. However, they saw a 23% rise with £583.2m as their recorded revenue. This increase has also meant they have jumped back up from fifth to fourth place in the Money League.

United are however the second highest squad in terms of revenue generated by the women’s team as a reported £5.2m has been incorporated into the overall revenue thanks to the efforts of Ella Toone, Alessia Russo and the rest of the women’s squad.

Jumping up one place from their 2021 position is Paris Saint-Germain who recorded a 2022 revenue of £554m, of which £3.1m came from their affiliated women’s team. The Ligue 1 champions enjoyed an 18% increase in their total revenue with the return of fans contributing 20% to the overall figures.

The highest revenue generating German club, and number six in the DFML, is Bayern Munich who had a 7% increase with £553.5m recorded as their 2022 revenue. While the matchday revenue increased 8% in 2021, the commercial side is once again by far the highest and has contributed 58% to the total revenue.

Seventh up is FC Barcelona with an overall revenue from 2022 of £540.5m. This figure is still significantly down from their 2019 number which stood at £738.2m. However, there is still much to celebrate as Deloitte writes £6.8m of their overall revenue is thanks to their affiliated women’s team - the highest contribution from any women’s team in the DFML top 10.

Making up the final three are the remaining members of the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’. Chelsea comes in at number eight with a 2022 revenue of £481.3m, with around £1m thanks to Emma Hayes’ squad. They have seen an increase of 15% from their 2021 figures.

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed a 29% increase with a 2022 revenue of £442.8m. The women’s squad has contributed £1.8mm to this figure.

And finally, the tenth club in the DFML is the Premier League’s current leaders, Arsenal. The Gunners have benefited from an 18% increase in 2021 revenue, with £367.1m recorded for 2022. £2.2m of this revenue has been thanks to Jonas Eidevall’s WSL side.

Who are the other clubs in the DFML’s top 30?

• Juventus - £339.3m
• Atletico Madrid - £333.6m
• Borussia Dortmund - £302.2m
• FC Internazionale Milano - £261.2m
• West Ham - £255.1m
• AC Milan - £224.4m
• Leicester City - £213.6m
• Leeds United - £189.2m
• Everton - £181m
• Newcastle - £179.8m
• Aston Villa - £184.9m
• Eintracht Frankfurt - £182.6m
• Brighton and Hove Albion - £173.9m
• Benfica - £172.3m
• Wolves - £171.1m
• Crystal Palace - £165.4m
• Ajax - £164m
• Sevilla - £163m
• Villareal FC - £156.5m
• Southampton - £155.7m