Real Madrid Passes ManU On Forbes' List Of The World's Most Valuable Football Teams

Real Madrid has surpassed ManU as the most valuable football franchise in Forbes' annual list of The World's Top 20 Most Valuable Soccer Teams. Real Madrid is valued at $3.3B, more than a 76% increase over last year. It becomes the most valuable sports franchise in the world. ManU now ranks No. 2, valued at $3.17B. This is the first time since Forbes began valuing football teams in '04 that ManU is not No. 1 on the list (Forbes). FORBES' Mike Ozanian reported Real Madrid generated operation income (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and player trading) of $134M, "more than any football team and second only to the NFL's Dallas Cowboys" ($227M). Thanks "to rich sponsorship deals" that are underpinned by the team's storied history of trophies and star players that were or are global themselves -- Raul Blanco, David Beckham, Ronaldo Lima, Cristiano Ronaldo -- Real Madrid's "revenue increased 62% over the past three years with an average operating margin of 28%." In hot pursuit of Real Madrid and ManU is Barcelona. Barça's "value doubled over the past year, the biggest increase of any top 20 team," to $2.6B (FORBES, 4/17).