London – The top 2023 richest football clubs in the world have reached a new historic milestone in the 24/11,2 season, totalling €28bn in revenue, according to the XNUMXth edition of Deloitte Sports Business Group’s Football Money League.
Increase of 6% compared to the previous season. Among the most significant results stands out the primacy of Real Madrid, which became the first club in history to exceed one billion euros in revenue in a single season, thanks above all to the renovation of the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, which doubled matchday revenue to 248 million euros.
Manchester City remains in second place, with a record turnover of €838 million, the highest ever recorded by an English club. Paris Saint-Germain, with €806 million, is in third place, followed by Manchester United with €771 million and Bayern Munich with €765 million. However, the gap between Real Madrid and the second place has never been so wide, with a difference of €208 million, a figure that further underlines the extraordinary economic performance of the Spanish club.
Among the Italian clubs, the Milan confirms its position at the top, placing itself in thirteenth place in the overall ranking with a turnover of 397,6 million euros. Immediately behind is Inter, which records revenues of 391 million euros. The situation is more complicated for Juventus, which slips to sixteenth place, its worst result in the history of the Money League, with revenues of 355,7 million euros. The absence from European football in the 2023/24 season has heavily influenced the economic decline of the Turin club.
Revenue growth was driven primarily by matchday revenue, which increased by 11% year-on-year. Matchday revenue exceeded €18bn for the first time in history, accounting for 2014% of total revenue, the highest level since 15/44. Commercial revenue also continued to be a key source for clubs, contributing 10% of total revenue, up 4,3% on the previous season, driven by live events, sponsorship and retail. In contrast, TV revenue remained stable at €2027bn, as Europe’s top leagues maintain long-term TV rights deals, set to run until at least XNUMX.
Real Madrid benefited not only from a doubling of matchday revenue, but also from a 19% increase in commercial revenue, which rose from €403 million to €482 million, thanks to merchandising and new sponsorships. Manchester City, while consolidating their second place in the overall ranking, recorded a turnover lower by €208 million than the Madrid club, highlighting a gap that had never been seen before in the history of the Money League. For Italian clubs, sporting performances had a decisive impact: Milan and Inter, for example, benefited from participation in the Champions League, while Juventus' absence from European competitions weighed on the Bianconeri's accounts.
Women's clubs also continue to grow, recording total revenues above €100 million for the first time. In the 2023/24 season, FC Barcelona Femení confirmed their lead with €17,9 million in revenue, followed by Arsenal Women, who recorded significant growth thanks to increased matchday and commercial revenues.
According to Tim Bridge, lead partner of Deloitte Sports Business Group, stadiums are increasingly becoming 360-degree entertainment hubs, capable of attracting sponsors, events and new visitors, thus representing a crucial element for the economic future of clubs. Diversification of revenue and improvement of infrastructure remain key elements for the financial success of football clubs, which must face new challenges while maintaining competitiveness on the pitch.
Article published on 23 January 2025 - 11:21
