Premier League Clubs Fall Out of Top Four in Global Football Revenue Rankings

Addis Ababa, January 22, 2026 (FMC) — The Premier League’s financial dominance has waned, as English football clubs have, for the first time in 29 years, fallen out of the top four of global revenue rankings.

The Deloitte Money League, an annual survey of the world’s highest-revenue football clubs, shows that Spain’s Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, Germany’s Bayern Munich, and France’s Paris Saint-Germain now occupy the top four positions, Bloomberg reported, citing Deloitte. Since the table’s launch in 1997, an English club had always appeared among the top four.

Despite winning the Premier League, Liverpool FC placed fifth. The club’s return to the UEFA Champions League and a 7% rise in commercial revenue, largely driven by additional non-matchday events at Anfield, helped Liverpool become the top-earning English team.

Manchester United dropped to eighth after a challenging season, with broadcast revenue falling from €258 million ($302 million) to €206 million. The decline stemmed from missing out on European competitions, finishing 15th in the Premier League, and early exits from domestic cups.

Manchester City fell to sixth place due to a lower league finish and an earlier Champions League exit compared to the previous season.

While Premier League broadcast rights continue to generate significant income, particularly in international markets, the league’s competitiveness creates revenue “volatility,” according to Ashley Mould, Principal of Sports Analytics and Advisory at the law firm LCP.

Real Madrid, with a newly completed state-of-the-art stadium, retained the top spot despite a 6% drop in matchday revenue. Commercial income grew 23%, boosted by merchandise sales and new commercial partners.

Barcelona claimed second place with €975 million in revenue, despite playing away from the Spotify Camp Nou during ongoing renovations. Their revenue grew 27% from the previous season, including a one-off €70 million boost from Personal Seat Licenses.

Bayern Munich earned €861 million, returning to the top four for the first time since the 2020/21 season, partly driven by broadcast revenue from the Club World Cup. Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain saw revenue affected by a downturn in France’s domestic broadcast deal, despite winning the Champions League.

Mould noted that top clubs in Spain, Germany, Italy, and France have been strategically increasing revenue through initiatives such as La Liga’s expansion into the US and Middle East, Real Madrid’s Bernabéu stadium development, and international brand-building by PSG, Serie A, and the Bundesliga.