Barcelona has leapfrogged Spanish rival Real Madrid to become the world¡¯s most valuable soccer club with a valuation of $4.76 billion, according to a list published by business magazine Forbes on Monday.
Real Madrid, which has topped the list five times in the past, edged Barcelona 2-1 in ¡°El Clasico¡± on Saturday but finds itself second-best off the pitch with a valuation of $4.75 billion.
Forbes said the average worth of the top 20 clubs has increased by 30% from two years ago to $2.28 billion despite the COVID-19 pandemic impacting matchday revenue, which fell to $441 million last season ¡ª down 9.6% from 2017-18.
¡°The pain is far from over, with a worsening decline in matchday revenue during the current season, as most of the teams in Europe¡¯s top leagues still permit few fans to attend games,¡± wrote Forbes¡¯ assistant managing editor Mike Ozanian.
European champion Bayern Munich ($4.215 billion) is third on the list while the Premier League¡¯s ¡¯Big Six¡¯ ¡ª Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur ¡ª are in the top 10.
French champion and last year¡¯s Champions League runner-up Paris Saint-Germain moved up to ninth after being valued at $2.5 billion with a 129% increase in two years ¡ª the biggest increase among the top 10 clubs.
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