{"id":924967,"date":"2026-08-05T11:13:41","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T16:13:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/05\/the-business-of-football\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T11:13:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T16:13:41","slug":"the-business-of-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/05\/the-business-of-football\/","title":{"rendered":"The business of football"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Mar\u00adi\u00adano Browne<\/p>\n

The FI\u00adFA World Cup is the largest sin\u00adgle-event sport\u00ading com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adtion in the world. No sin\u00adgle sport\u00ading event match\u00ades the sin\u00adgu\u00adlar, world\u00adwide fo\u00adcus and tele\u00advi\u00adsion view\u00ader\u00adship of the World Cup. <\/p>\n

The 2026 ver\u00adsion is es\u00adti\u00admat\u00aded to have reached over 5 bil\u00adlion peo\u00adple, out of the world\u2019s 8.3 bil\u00adlion. It is the most pop\u00adu\u00adlar sport be\u00adcause it is sim\u00adple; the rules are easy to learn, it re\u00adquires on\u00adly a ball and an open space, and it is ac\u00adces\u00adsi\u00adble to al\u00admost any\u00adone. Many of the world\u2019s top foot\u00adballers learned to play on the streets <\/p>\n

If one were to ask which were the most suc\u00adcess\u00adful foot\u00adball clubs in the world, the an\u00adswer would de\u00adpend on your mea\u00adsure of suc\u00adcess. If suc\u00adcess is de\u00adter\u00admined by the num\u00adber of of\u00adfi\u00adcial tro\u00adphies won across na\u00adtion\u00adal, con\u00adti\u00adnen\u00adtal, and in\u00adter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adtions, the club names would sur\u00adprise you. <\/p>\n

The three top clubs are Al Ahly in Egypt with 125 tro\u00adphies, Rangers in Scot\u00adland with 118 and Club Na\u00adcional in Uruguay with 113. Re\u00adal Madrid and Barcelona are fifth and sixth with 102 and 103 tro\u00adphies re\u00adspec\u00adtive\u00adly. <\/p>\n

The pic\u00adture changes dra\u00admat\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly when it comes to as\u00adsess\u00ading the fi\u00adnan\u00adcial\u00adly suc\u00adcess\u00adful clubs. Be\u00adcause of its glob\u00adal reach and wide au\u00addi\u00adence, foot\u00adball is big busi\u00adness. <\/p>\n

The rich\u00adest clubs and the biggest leagues are in the rich\u00ader economies, pri\u00admar\u00adi\u00adly in Eu\u00adrope. The most pop\u00adu\u00adlar and in\u00adter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adly known foot\u00adball clubs func\u00adtion as glob\u00adal en\u00adter\u00adtain\u00adment cor\u00adpo\u00adra\u00adtions and are glob\u00adal brands. They are in the busi\u00adness of pro\u00adfes\u00adsion\u00adal sport.<\/p>\n

The rich\u00adest foot\u00adball clubs are Re\u00adal Madrid, Barcelona, Bay\u00adern Mu\u00adnich and Paris Saint-Ger\u00admain, fol\u00adlowed by Liv\u00ader\u00adpool, with an\u00adnu\u00adal rev\u00adenues rang\u00ading from \u20ac1.2 bil\u00adlion to \u20ac831 mil\u00adlion (US$1.4 bil\u00adlion to US$957 mil\u00adlion). <\/p>\n

Foot\u00adball rev\u00adenue comes from mul\u00adti-bil\u00adlion-dol\u00adlar broad\u00adcast\u00ading rights, tick\u00adet sales, mer\u00adchan\u00addise and spon\u00adsor\u00adships. There is no re\u00adli\u00adable num\u00adber for the glob\u00adal rev\u00adenue gen\u00ader\u00adat\u00aded from foot\u00adball. <\/p>\n

The ac\u00adcount\u00ading firm De\u00adloitte es\u00adti\u00admat\u00aded that the an\u00adnu\u00adal rev\u00adenue gen\u00ader\u00adat\u00aded from Eu\u00adro\u00adpean foot\u00adball is US$45 bil\u00adlion. This is on par with the rev\u00adenue gen\u00ader\u00adat\u00aded by video gam\u00ading and the mu\u00adsic in\u00addus\u00adtry but above the movie in\u00addus\u00adtry\u2019s US$35 bil\u00adlion in gross tick\u00adet sales in the\u00adatres world\u00adwide. And the biggest re\u00adturns go to the biggest teams. <\/p>\n

Tick\u00adet prices vary de\u00adpend\u00ading on the club play\u00ading or the venue. Cham\u00adpi\u00adons League match tick\u00adets are typ\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly more ex\u00adpen\u00adsive than nor\u00admal League tick\u00adets. Hence the com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adtion to qual\u00adi\u00adfy for the Cham\u00adpi\u00adons League. <\/p>\n

Group stage tick\u00adets of\u00adten cost 15 to 30 per cent more than stan\u00addard league games. The gap widens sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant\u00adly in the knock\u00adout stages and fi\u00adnals. The at\u00adtrac\u00adtive\u00adness of qual\u00adi\u00adfy\u00ading and do\u00ading well is twofold: pres\u00adtige and mon\u00adey. <\/p>\n

Tick\u00adet prices vary marked\u00adly. <\/p>\n

Next sea\u00adson (2026-27), Re\u00adal Madrid tick\u00adets at the Bern\u00adab\u00e9u Sta\u00addi\u00adum will range from \u20ac275 to \u20ac 325 (US$315 to US$375) for starters. The bet\u00adter seats cost more, and VIP tick\u00adets will cost much more. Match\u00ades against ri\u00advals like Atleti\u00adco Madrid or Barcelona can see re\u00adsale prices soar to thou\u00adsands. <\/p>\n

The same is true in Eng\u00adland. Tick\u00adet prices for the Man\u00adches\u00adter City Vs Man\u00adches\u00adter Unit\u00aded game on March 20, 2027 range from a low of \u00a3224 to \u00a33000 (US$303 to US$4,041). Buy\u00ading tick\u00adets from re\u00adsellers is more ex\u00adpen\u00adsive; tick\u00adet prices are marked up by a com\u00admis\u00adsion which goes to the re\u00adseller. Coven\u00adtry City\u2019s tick\u00adet prices are much less than Man\u00adches\u00adter City, Man\u00adches\u00adter Unit\u00aded, Ar\u00adse\u00adnal and Chelsea. \u202f <\/p>\n

Seat\u00ading ca\u00adpac\u00adi\u00adty varies. Re\u00adal Madrid\u2019s Bern\u00adabeu seats 83,000 pa\u00adtrons, Man\u00adches\u00adter City\u2019s Eti\u00adhad on\u00adly holds 61,400, and Bay\u00adern Mu\u00adnich\u2019s Al\u00adlianz seats 75,000. Small\u00ader clubs have more mod\u00adest arrange\u00adments. Coven\u00adtry City\u2019s home sta\u00addi\u00adum in Eng\u00adland has an of\u00adfi\u00adcial all-seater ca\u00adpac\u00adi\u00adty of 32,609 spec\u00adta\u00adtors. The big\u00adger the rep\u00adu\u00adta\u00adtion of the club, the big\u00adger the fan base and the high\u00ader the rev\u00adenues. <\/p>\n

Ac\u00adcount\u00ading firm De\u00adloitte cal\u00adcu\u00adlat\u00aded that the an\u00adnu\u00adal rev\u00adenues of the top 20 clubs for the year 2024\/25 amount\u00aded to \u20ac12.4 bil\u00adlion (US$14.2 bil\u00adlion). The suc\u00adcess of the Eu\u00adro\u00adpean teams has at\u00adtract\u00aded bil\u00adlion\u00adaire in\u00advestors. Ar\u00adse\u00adnal (both the men and women\u2019s club) is 100 per cent owned by the Amer\u00adi\u00adcan Stan Kroenke. The Sau\u00addi Pub\u00adlic In\u00advest\u00adment Fund owns 85 per cent of New\u00adcas\u00adtle Unit\u00aded. Paris Saint-Ger\u00admain (PSG) is ma\u00adjor\u00adi\u00adty-owned by Qatar Sports In\u00advest\u00adment, a sov\u00ader\u00adeign wealth fund. <\/p>\n

This does not mean that all the top clubs are owned by bil\u00adlion\u00adaires. Re\u00adal Madrid does not have a sin\u00adgle own\u00ader; it is a pri\u00advate\u00adly reg\u00adis\u00adtered, non-prof\u00adit sports as\u00adso\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtion owned col\u00adlec\u00adtive\u00adly by its mem\u00adbers, known as so\u00adcios. FC Barcelona is en\u00adtire\u00adly fan-owned by its more than 140,000 mem\u00adbers, who are al\u00adso known as so\u00adcios. FC Bay\u00adern Mu\u00adnich is pri\u00admar\u00adi\u00adly owned by its fans (75 per cent), while the re\u00admain\u00ading 25 per cent is split equal\u00adly among Adi\u00addas, Al\u00adlianz, and Au\u00addi. <\/p>\n

Big club rev\u00adenues mean big salaries for the best play\u00aders. What mat\u00adters in busi\u00adness is suc\u00adcess, at\u00adtrac\u00adtive foot\u00adball and skil\u00adful play\u00aders. The most suc\u00adcess\u00adful clubs can pay more and there\u00adfore can at\u00adtract top tal\u00adent. <\/p>\n

As a re\u00adsult, stand\u00adout per\u00adform\u00aders from low\u00ader-ranked teams tend to get poached by the lure of a big\u00adger pay\u00adday and the op\u00adpor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty for wider ex\u00adpo\u00adsure. Play\u00aders have a fi\u00adnite life and must max\u00adimise their earn\u00adings while they can. <\/p>\n

This ac\u00adcounts for the at\u00adtrac\u00adtive\u00adness of Eu\u00adro\u00adpean foot\u00adball leagues to play\u00aders from the glob\u00adal south where economies are small\u00ader and club rev\u00adenues much low\u00ader. <\/p>\n

Tal\u00adent scouts trav\u00adel the world look\u00ading for unique tal\u00adents. Mes\u00adsi was re\u00adcruit\u00aded to the Barcelona acad\u00ade\u00admy at age 13; Lamine Ya\u00admal at just 7 years old. But these are pre\u00adco\u00adcious tal\u00adents. <\/p>\n

Where does FI\u00adFA fit in and how does FI\u00adFA earn its rev\u00adenue? <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Mariano Browne
Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mar\u00adi\u00adano Browne The FI\u00adFA World Cup is the largest sin\u00adgle-event sport\u00ading com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adtion in the world. No sin\u00adgle sport\u00ading event match\u00ades the sin\u00adgu\u00adlar, world\u00adwide fo\u00adcus and tele\u00advi\u00adsion view\u00ader\u00adship of the World Cup. The 2026 ver\u00adsion is es\u00adti\u00admat\u00aded to have reached over 5 bil\u00adlion peo\u00adple, out of the world\u2019s 8.3 bil\u00adlion. It is the most pop\u00adu\u00adlar sport<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":924968,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[378,3790],"tags":[8652,7229],"class_list":["post-924967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","category-football","tag-business","tag-football"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/924967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=924967"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/924967\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/924968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=924967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=924967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=924967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}