Money drives the best sporting competitions and Forbes yesterday released its list of the top 50 most valuable sporting teams and franchises from across the globe.
The top 50 sports team from around the world average a net worth of $1.75 billion, which is a 31 percent increase from last year’s mean.
Unsurprisingly, the big players from across the U.S. competitions feature heavily, but none have been able to dislodge Real Madrid as the most valuable sports team in the world.
It is the third consecutive year that the Spanish footballing powerhouse have topped the list, with their value estimated at $3.26 billion dollars - a disappointment for them considering this figure is down from last year.
It's no surprise, with drawcords such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, as well as the fact that they claimed a record 10th Champions League crown in 2014.
Real edged out iconic American franchises, the New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys - both worth an estimated $3.2 billion dollars - while Spanish football side Barcelona ($3.16 billion) and Manchester United ($3.1 billion) rounded out the top five.
Both the Yankees and the Cowboys made significant jumps based on last year’s projections.
Surprisingly, sides that struggled in their respective competitions in the U.S. last season made the top 10, with the New York Knicks (NBA) and Washington Redskins (NFL) being included despite forgettable 2014/15 campaigns.
Take a look at the full list and let us know who surprised you on Twitter @SportalAU:
1. Real Madrid - $3.26 billion
2. Dallas Cowboys - $3.2 billion
3. New York Yankees - $3.2 billion
4. Barcelona - $3.16 billion
5. Manchester United - $3.1 billion
6. Los Angeles Lakers - $2.6 billion
7. New England Patriots - $2.6 billion
8. New York Knicks - $2.5 billion
9. Los Angeles Dodgers - $2.4 billion
10. Washington Redskins - $2.4 billion
11. Bayern Munich $2.35 billion
12. Boston Red Sox - $2.1 billion
13. New York Giants - $2.1 billion
14. Chicago Bulls - $2 billion
15. San Francisco Giants - $2 billion
16. Houston Texans - $1.85 billion
17. Chicago Cubs - $1.8 billion
18. New York Jets - $1.8 billion
19. Philadelphia Eagles - $1.75 billion
20. Boston Celtics - $1.7 billion
21. Chicago Bears - $1.7 billion
22. Los Angeles Clippers - $1.6 billion
23. San Francisco 49ers - $1.6 billion
24. Baltimore Ravens - $1.5 billion
25. Brooklyn Nets - $1.5 billion
26. Denver Broncos - $1.45 billion
27. Indianapolis Colts - $1.4 billion
28. St. Louis Cardinals - $1.4 billion
29. Manchester City - $1.39 billion
30. Green Bay Packers - $1.38 billion
31. Chelsea FC - $1.37 billion
32. Ferrari F1 Team - $1.35 billion
33. New York Mets - $1.35 billion
34. Pittsburgh Steelers - $1.35 billion
35. Seattle Seahawks - $1.33 billion
36. Arsenal FC - $1.31 billion
37. Golden State Warriors - $1.3 billion
38. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - $1.3 billion
39. Miami Dolphins - $1.3 billion
40. Toronto Maple Leafs - $1.3 billion
41. Washington Nationals - $1.28 billion
42. Carolina Panthers - $1.25 billion
43. Houston Rockets - $1.25 billion
44. Philadelphia Phillies - $1.25 billion
45. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - $1.23 billion
46. Texas Rangers - $1.22 billion
47. Miami Heat - $1.18 billion
48. Tennessee Titans - $1.16 billion
49. Atlanta Braves - $1.15 billion
50. Dallas Mavericks - $1.15 billion
51. Minnesota Vikings - $1.15 billion
*Note: All values in $US Dollars.