Real Madrid tops Forbes list as world's most valuable club

Real Madrid is the most valuable football club in the world, according to the ranking of the magazine "Forbes." According to the American business fortnightly, the value of the Spanish club currently reaches £5.3 billion.

The "Royal Club" has increased its value by 9 percent compared to last year. According to current statistics, the annual operating profit of Real Madrid, which is the profit after taxes and interest, amounts to £61 million.

The second most valuable club in the world is, according to the American magazine, Manchester United, whose value is estimated at £5.3 billion, with an operating profit of £150 million. The English club also saw a 9 percent increase in value over the last year.

FC Barcelona also made it to the podium, with the newspaper estimating its value at £4.6 billion, roughly equivalent to £4.9 billion. Robert Lewandowski's club improved its value by 2 percent.

According to Forbes' estimates, the annual operating profit of the "Pride of Catalonia" reaches £116 million.

The following places in the ranking were occupied by Liverpool FC, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich. Their values are estimated respectively at £4.3 billion, £4.1 billion, and £4 billion.

The top ten richest football clubs also include Paris Saint-Germain and three London clubs: Tottenham, Chelsea, and Arsenal. The value of PSG reaches £3.5 billion, while the values of the English clubs are respectively £2.6 billion, £2.5 billion, and £2.1 billion.