Real Madrid top Forbes football rich list with Cristiano Ronaldo as the best-paid player

Real Madrid have kept their position as the world’s most valuable football team for a fourth year running year. According to US business magazine Forbes, The Madrid outfit is valued at $3.645 billion (£2.52bn), with an annual revenue of $694m (£480m)  pipping La Liga rivals Barcelona, who are second, in both
categories to top spot. English premier league side, Manchester United are third with $3.317bn (£2.3bn). Fellow Premier League sides Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham all made the top 10 spots.

The study reveals that Real Madrid occupy second spot in the rankings of the world's richest sports teams, with NFL outfit Dallas Cowboys topping the pile with a valuation of £4bn (£2.77bn).

The world's most valuable football teams (Forbes)

1. Real Madrid - US$3.645 bn (£2.52billion)

2. Barcelona - $3.549bn (£2.46bn)

3. Manchester United - $3.317bn (£2.3bn)

4. Bayern Munich - $2.678bn (£1.85bn)

5. Arsenal - $2.017bn (£1.4bn)

6. Manchester City - $1.921bn (£1.33bn)

7. Chelsea - $1.661bn (£1.15bn)

8. Liverpool - $1.548bn (£1.07bn)

9. Juventus - $1.299bn (£900million)

10. Tottenham - $1.017bn (£704m)

Also in another development, Cristiano Ronaldo is ranked as the world's highest-paid footballer -- and highest-paid team athlete -- last year, according to Forbes.
Real Madrid star Ronaldo was said to have earned a total of $82 million (£56.7m), with an annual salary of $53m (£36.7m) and $29m (£20m) in endorsements.


Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or winner, was second in the list on $77m (£53.3m), with the 28-year-old's $51m (£35.3m) salary augmented by $26m (£18m) in endorsements.
 Former basketball star Kobe Bryant, who retired in April, is the only team sport athlete to have made more than Ronaldo, with Forbes reporting that he earned $680m (£470.8m) in a career that lasted 17 years.
Paris Saint-Germain star Zlatan Ibrahimovic is ranked third with $37m (£25.6m)
Barcelona and Brazil forward Neymar was named the fourth biggest earner, on $36m (£24.9m).
Forbes reports that the 24-year-old is the only footballer on the list to earn more in endorsements ($22m or £15.2m) than through his salary ($14m or £9.69m).

Luis Suarez, the third member of the Barcelona attack, is ranked eighth in the Forbes list, with total earnings of $23m (£15.9m).
Real Madrid's Gareth Bale is ranked fifth on the list with $34m (£23.5m).

Forbes' top five highest-paid footballers:
1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid): $82m (£56.7m)
2 Lionel Messi (Barcelona): $77m (£53.3m)
3 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain): $37m (£25.6m)
4 Neymar (Barcelona): $36m (£24.9m)
5 Gareth Bale (Real Madrid): $34m (£23.5m)