Apparently, things are going just right for Real Madrid outside the pitch. Hours after being defeated by Juventus in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, business authority Forbes published their yearly most-valuable team ranking, with Los Blancos on top of that list for the third straight year.
Florentino Perez's business model provided Los Blancos with the highest revenue for any sports franchise in the world, being able to haul in $746 million dollars in the 2013-2014 season. Nevertheless, it's not all good news for Real Madrid, since the European champions value dropped 5% considering last year's ranking. The current Champions League semi-finalists' value adds up to $3.26 billion dollars.
Forbes' ranking shows another La Liga side in second place, and it couldn't be any other than Barcelona. Los Blaugranas value added up to $3.16 billion dollars, following a one percent drop from last year. Their revenue surpassed the 500 million dollar mark, leaving their final number at $637 millions.
Completing the podium is Manchester United, the first of five Premier League sides. Unlike the first two teams in this ranking, the Red Devils showed a 10% increase in value compared to last year's numbers. Despite their appalling display last year, which left the club away from European competitions, the team's revenue is higher than Barcelona's, earning the team a very respectable $703 million. Considering all numbers, the Red Devils' value adds up to $3.10 billion dollars.
But perhaps the biggest winner this year has to be Bayern Munich. The Bavarian side saw it's worth increase by 27%, enough to make them fourth in this year's ranking. Pep Guardiola's team tallied a $661 million dollar revenue, with their total value adding up to $2.35 billion.
Here's Forbes' top ten most valuable team list
1. Real Madrid: $3.26 billion dollars
2. FC Barcelona: $3.16 billion dollars
3. Manchester United: 3.10 billion dollars
4. Bayern Munich: $2.35 billion dollars
5. Manchester City: $1.38 billion dollars
