Manchester United have fallen to their lowest place within the Deloitte Soccer Money League, with Liverpool the highest-earning English membership for the primary time.
The Pink Devils had been as soon as thought to be the blueprint for business success in soccer and have topped the Money League in 10 of its 29 editions, most just lately in 2017.
Nonetheless, United are down in eighth within the 2026 desk, partially resulting from broadcast income dropping from €258m [£216.72m] to €206m [£172.9m] due to their absence from the Champions League in 2024-25.
The membership are set to generate even much less matchday income within the present season resulting from their complete absence from European competitors, and their failure to go previous the primary hurdle in both home cup means they may play solely 20 aggressive fixtures at Previous Trafford in 2025-26.
“The clubs with the biggest football club brands and position in the market have an opportunity to broaden their reach and offer more to fans on a matchday, offer more to fans on a non-matchday, and become a more 365-days-a-year touch point,” stated Tim Bridge, the Sports activities Business Group Chief at Deloitte. “United are in all probability solely simply beginning that journey now, due to the reported stadium growth.
“When you went again 10 or 15 years, and also you checked out Manchester United’s matchday income it was the trade chief. When you checked out their skill to generate business income, it was the benchmark by which everyone then went to market and set their technique. I do not suppose that is still the case.
“The chance stays for Manchester United. They’re arguably nonetheless the most important world soccer membership model, and due to this fact they’ve the chance to maximise that in a approach that’s solely doable for a choose few.
“But to do that requires fit-for-purpose facilities. As the industry evolves, clubs should ask themselves whether there is a need to rethink how they engage with fans and how that relationship works. With reports of the new stadium, it is clear they have started to do some of that, so it’s very clear they’re thinking in that way. Their timing of making that change is behind Real Madrid and Barcelona, but the opportunity remains.”
United are the fourth-placed English membership within the 2026 Money League behind Liverpool, Manchester Metropolis and Arsenal, with Actual Madrid prime as they turned the primary crew to report income over €1bn – €1.161bn or £975.2m.
Liverpool sit fifth after their return to the Champions League in 2024-25 and a seven per cent enhance in business income from non-matchday occasions at Anfield.
It’s the first time there has not been an English crew within the Money League prime 4, with Actual, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain all benefiting from going deep within the newly expanded Champions League and the expanded FIFA Membership World Cup in the summertime.
Deloitte stated that the Membership World Cup had resulted in a 17 per cent common uplift in broadcast revenues for the ten Money League golf equipment who had been concerned.
Premier League groups might count on to fare higher typically within the 2027 Money League, which would be the first to replicate the brand new broadcast deal which runs to 2029, however Bridge stated the best-performing golf equipment would proceed to be those that match on-field success with diversification off it.
“The trick to staying [in the top five] is maintaining both of those. It used to be you only had to maintain one of them. Now, in 2026, we’re at a point where the highest revenue generating clubs are probably broader than football,” he stated.
Manchester Metropolis’s sixth place was their lowest for the reason that Covid-19-impacted season of 2019-20.
In all, 9 Premier League golf equipment made it into the highest 20 of the Money League, with Tottenham [ninth], Chelsea [10th], Aston Villa [14th], Newcastle [17th] and West Ham [20th].
Prime-ranked ladies’s soccer golf equipment generate over €150m for first time
For a fourth 12 months, the Deloitte Soccer Money League profiles 15 of the highest income producing ladies’s golf equipment globally. In one other record-breaking 12 months, these golf equipment reported common revenues in extra of €10m [£8.4m] for the primary time, with cumulative revenues of €158m [£132.72m], marking a rise of 35 per cent on final 12 months’s complete.
Arsenal Girls tops the listing this 12 months, dethroning FC Barcelona Femení for the primary time, with revenues of €25.6m [£21.5m], a rise of 43 per cent from the earlier season. Important funding into fan information and activation helped garner attendances exceeding 35,000 on 5 separate events throughout the 2024/25 season.
Chelsea Girls ranks in an in depth second [£21.3m] whereas producing the very best business income among the many prime 15 [£16m]. FC Barcelona Femení [£18.5m] completes the highest three after one other profitable home season.
“While growth has developed significantly in women’s football in recent years, the shift from the start up phase to the established phase requires consistent time, investment, and effort to develop the foundations in the right manner,” stated Jennifer Haskel, data and perception lead within the Deloitte Sports activities Business Group.
“As further milestones are hit, including new and expanded competitions on the biggest stages, industry leaders must continue to innovate, while also protecting the wants and needs of fans and players to foster a more sustainable future for the game.”
