MUMBAI: English football club Manchester United has emerged as the world?s most valuable sports team, according to Forbes report on the top 50 valuable sports teams around the world.

Man-U, which has filed for a $100 million IPO on Nasdaq, has been valued at $2.23 billion ahead of Spanish club Real Madrid, which is at No. 2 with a value of $1.88 billion.

Incidentally, all 32 National Football League (NFL) franchises have made it to the top 50 list with the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, New England Patriots and New York Giants making it to the top 10.

Seven Major League Baseball (MLB) teams have earned spots in the top 50 list with New York Yankees making it to the top 10 with a value of $1.85 billion.

Only two NBA teams, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, have made it to the top 50 list while none of the National Hockey League clubs figure in the list dominated by professional clubs from US.

As many as four NFL teams have entered the top 10 table besides two teams from MLB. Joining Man-U and Real Madrid in the top 10 list are Spanish club Barcelona at No. 8 list and English club Arsenal at No 10 spot.

The top 50 list has two Formula One racing teams, Ferrari with a value of $1.1 billion, and McLaren valued at $800 million.

Forbes Top 10 teams:
1. Manchester United (soccer) - $2.23 billion
2. Real Madrid (soccer) - $1.88 billion
3. New York Yankees (MLB) - $1.85 billion
4. Dallas Cowboys (NFL) - $1.85 billion
5. Washington Redskins (NFL) - $1.56 billion
6. Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB) - $1.40 billion
7. New England Patriots (NFL) - $1.40 billion
8. Barcelona (soccer) - $1.31 billion
9. New York Giants (NFL) - $1.30 billion
10. Arsenal (soccer) - $1.29 billion

MUMBAI: Manchester United has held on to its position as the world?s most valuable football brand with a brand value of $853 million despite a dissapointing Premier League season wherein it lost the title to Manchester City, according to brand valuation company Brand Finance.

However, the valuation firm has warned that shrewd commercial management and commanding Champion?s League performances by Bayern Munich could see United unseated from the top spot of the Brand Finance Football 50 in the near future.

German football club FC Bayern Munich climbed to the second spot with a brand valuation of $786 million representing a 59 per cent increase over the last year. The success in Germany and presence in the final of the Champions League has been bolstered by financial nous.

Bayern Munich pipped Spanish giant Real Madrid, which has slipped to third spot with its valuation decreasing by seven per cent to $600 million.

?However Bayern needs to start building its brand in emerging markets or they will be left behind by relying too heavily on their domestic fan base," commented head of Sports Brands Dave Chattaway.

Also witnessing a decrease in its brand valuation is Spanish club FC Barcelona, whose brand valuation shrinked by eight per cent to $580 million.

AC Milan, the only Italian club to make it to the top ten, has a valuation of $292 million.

Italian and Spanish clubs fared badly this year, affected by the economic turmoil in their home markets. Attendances are down due to high unemployment and uncertainty.

Clubs in both countries must continue to look abroad for a steady stream of commercial and broadcasting revenues, capitalising on strong brands, Brand Finance said.

Joining Bayern Munich in the top ten table is FC Schalke 04, which has seen its valuation zoom by 97 per cent to $266 million. The club has moved to 10th position from 12th position last year.

Champion?s League triumph secures another season in Europe for Chelsea but despite two trophies the club stays fifth with a brand value of $398 million due to a poor Premier League performance.

Arsenal and Liverpool share sixth and seventh spot respectively with a valuation of $388 and $367 million.

Meanwhile, the huge investment in local rivals, Manchester City, has finally yielded a Premier League victory. With Sir Alex Ferguson reaching the end of his career and the Glazers still paying off debts, the club may struggle to maintain the squad it needs to stay at the top.

The huge investment by Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi, estimated at $1.5 billion, is beginning to pay off for City. The club has matched United on the field and though still in its shadow in terms of Brand value, it is catching up rapidly. At $302 million, the Man City brand is worth nearly double what it was in 2011.

Brand Finance CEO David Haigh said, "This year?s study shows that even football isn?t immune to the Euro crisis, with Spanish and Italian teams being hit hardest. The two top teams operate different marketing strategies, Bayern prioritising its domestic fan base whilst United concentrates on global opportunities."

MUMBAI: Argentina and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has emerged as the richest football player in 2011 with earnings of ?27.5 million from wages, bonuses, sponsorships and endorsements, according to France Football magazine.

The Argentinian, who commands an annual salary of ?13 million, also endorses some of the world?s leading global brands, including Adidas and Pepsi.

Messi is followed by David Beckham of England and Portugal?s Cristiano Ronaldo who are at the second and third spot with earnings of ?26.2 million and ?24.3 million.

The list has Manchester United star Wayne Rooney at the fifth place behind Samuel Eto?o, who plays for Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala. Eto?o earned ?19.3 million while Rooney took home ?17.2 million.

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is the top-paid coach with ?12.3 million this year, while Paris St Germain boss Carlo Ancelotti is second (?11 million) with Barcelona?s Pep Guardiola (?7.88 million) at the third place.

MUMBAI: For the fourth successive year, the top six places in Football Money League from Deloitte has remained unchanged with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Chelsea retaining their rankings.

Real Madrid is now just one year short of equalling Manchester United?s dominance in the top position during the first eight years of the Money League. They are being chased hard by rivals Barcelona, whose 13 per cent growth in 2010/11 meant revenue surpassed ?450m for the first time. Manchester United?s failure to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League in 2011/12 will likely result in the gulf between the club and its Spanish opponents stretching to over ?100m.

The combined revenues of the world?s 20 highest earning football clubs have defied European economic woes by growing 3 per cent on the previous year, the business advisory firm said.

They have achieved double the rate of growth of the economies of the countries represented in the Money League, which grew on average by just 1.7 per cent during the course of 2010 and by 1.3 per cent in 2011.

The 20 clubs generated ?4.4 billion in revenue during the 2010/11 season and now represent over a quarter of the total revenues of the European football market. Nine of the top 20 clubs recorded double-digit growth in the year.

Dan Jones, Partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, commented: ?Continued growth of the top 20 clubs during 2010/11 emphasises the strength of football?s top clubs, especially in these tough economic times. Whilst revenue growth has slowed from 8% in 2009/10 to 3% in 2010/11, their large and loyal supporter bases, ability to drive strong broadcast audiences and continuing attraction to corporate partners has made them relatively resilient to the economic downturn.?

Jones commented: ?Barca?s shirt deal with the Qatar Foundation, will further boost the club?s revenue in 2011/12. Nonetheless, Real Madrid will be confident it can remain at the top of the Money League next year. The two clubs? on-pitch performance, particularly in this season?s Champions League, will have a big influence on the final outcome.?

Once again, the Money League top 20 comprises clubs from the ?big five? European leagues, six of which come from the English Premier League. A further five Premier League clubs were just outside the top 20 for revenues in the 2010/11 season (Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Everton, West Ham United and Sunderland).

The Deloitte Football Money League - 2010/11 revenue

After its first season without Champions League football since 2003/04, Liverpool slipped another place down the Money League, dropping to ninth position. Despite reporting strong growth from its commercial revenues, and a new six-year kit deal with Warrior Sports from 2012/13, Liverpool needs a return to European football to help secure its top 10 position in the Money League. This is under threat from English Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur (11th) and Manchester City (12th), among others.

Alan Switzer, a director in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said: ?Spurs? recently received planning consent for a new stadium development, coupled with a continuation of their recent on-pitch form, could secure a Money League top 10 position for the club on a frequent basis. A glance across North London to Arsenal leaves little doubt of the scale and impact of the increased matchday revenue opportunities that arise from a modern stadium development.?

Tottenham?s debut in the Champions League, where it reached the quarter-final stages, gave the club a chance to gain 10th spot in this year?s Money League. However, it was leapfrogged by Schalke 04 ? this year?s biggest climbers ? which jumped six places, pushing Italian giants Juventus out of the top 10 in the process. Schalke?s dramatic rise up the Money League came as a result of a Champions League campaign that saw the club reach the semi-finals of the competition. However, a disappointing 14th place finish in the 2010/11 Bundesliga season and failure to qualify for Champions League football in 2011/12 will likely see a drop back down next year.

Despite impressive revenue growth, Manchester City slipped one place in the Money League.

Switzer explained: ?The club?s heavy squad investment secured Champions League football for 2011/12. When combined with the ground breaking 10-year partnership with Etihad, this will provide substantial growth across all three revenue sources and will see City break into the top 10 in the Money League next year.?

Commenting on the impact of UEFA?s financial fair play break-even requirement, Paul Rawnsley, a Director in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, commented: ?The focus on football?s future financial sustainability is more prevalent in Europe than at any time in the past 20 years. We remain keen to see that translated into a better balance between revenue and expenditure. UEFA?s break-even requirement, to be assessed for the first time in 2013, is helpful in driving this improvement. It is encouraging more owners to consider the longer term development of their clubs, in terms of generating revenues, investing in facilities and youth development, and controlling their expenditures.?

The three clubs that have dropped out of the Money League for 2010/11 (compared to the top 20 clubs based on 2009/10 revenue) are Atl?tico de Madrid, VfB Stuttgart and Aston Villa.