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