Real Madrid Tops Forbes’ Most Valuable Sports Team List, Again

La Liga team Real Madrid ranks first for the third straight year at $3.26 billion.

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo (2nd R) and his team mates Pepe (R), Raul Albiol (2ndL) and Royston Drenthe (L) celebrate after he scored during their Champions League soccer match against FC Zurich. (Photo: Reuters)

Spanish soccer club Real Madrid retained top spot on a list of the world’s 50 most valuable sports teams, according to a Forbes poll released on Wednesday that was made up mostly of National Football League franchises.

The value of the 10-times European champions fell 5% from last year to $3.26 billion due to a drop in the euro versus the US dollar, but revenue of $746 million, the highest of any team, kept them top, Forbes said in a statement.

According to Forbes, which began valuing sports franchises in 1998, the world’s 50 most valuable teams are worth an average $1.75 billion, up 31% from 2014.

Forbes also said the minimum valuation to make the cut rose to $1.15 billion, up from $856 million a year ago, due largely to the soaring worth of NBA and MLB teams.

The 10 most valuable teams (in billions)

1. Real Madrid (Soccer) - $3.26

2. Dallas Cowboys (NFL) - $3.20

2. New York Yankees (Baseball) - $3.20

4. Barcelona (Soccer) - $3.16

5. Manchester United (Soccer) - $3.10

6. Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) - $2.60

6. New England Patriots (NFL) - $2.60

8. New York Knicks (NBA) - $2.50

9. Los Angeles Dodgers (Baseball) - $2.40

9. Washington Redskins (NFL) - $2.40