Sportico have released their list of the top 50 most valuable soccer clubs in the world, and 19 of them are Major League Soccer clubs – that’s 38%.
I was surprised when I read this but perhaps I shouldn’t have been. America has always been a country that puts its money where its mouth is, and given their commitment to making MLS a league on par with the biggest in Europe, it’s no wonder the franchise clubs are valuable.
It raises an interesting point though, which is the difference between financial success and sporting success. Because while many MLS clubs may be doing great business, their sporting achievements aren’t quite as brag worthy internationally.
For example, the list CONCACAF Champions Cup winners is dominated by Mexican clubs. MLS clubs have only won it 3 times since MLS began (although that could change if Vancouver do the business in June), yet only 2 Mexican clubs make it onto the list of top 50 most valuable clubs. So there is an imbalance here.
However, as we have seen at club level time and time again, money usually brings success. The way things are going, MLS clubs could soon be as successful on the pitch as they are on the balance sheets.
Anyway, let’s have a look at the list.
Clubs on the List
The 50 most valuable soccer clubs from @Sportico are out. Europe dominates the top of the table, including #1 through #15, but MLS heavily populates the rest.
Full top 50: https://t.co/PUln4zCb0S pic.twitter.com/0mH5pBZygb
— Kurt Badenhausen (@kbadenhausen) May 7, 2025
Unsurprisingly, clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester United dominate the top of the list, worth multiple billions each.
In fact, the top 15 clubs are all from Europe: 6 from the Premier League in England, 3 from La Liga in Spain, 3 from Serie A in Italy, 2 from Bundesliga in Germany, and 1 from Ligue 1 in France.
However, of the remaining 35 teams MLS dominates, and 5 of the 19 North American clubs are valued at $1 billion or more.
Here is each MLS club on the list along with their position and valuation:
| Club | Valuation | Position on Global List |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles FC | $1.28 billion | 16 |
| Inter Miami | $1.19 billion | 17 |
| LA Galaxy | $1.11 billion | 18 |
| Atlanta United | $1.08 billion | 19 |
| New York City FC | $1 billion | 20 |
| Austin FC | $865 million | 23 |
| Seattle Sounders | $825 million | 25 |
| Columbus Crew | $730 million | 33 |
| Toronto FC | $725 million | 34 |
| FC Cincinnati | $725 million | 35 |
| D.C. United | $720 million | 36 |
| Portland Timbers | $720 million | 37 |
| Charlotte FC | $705 million | 39 |
| Philadelphia Union | $700 million | 40 |
| St. Louis City SC | $655 million | 42 |
| Minnesota United | $655 million | 43 |
| Sporting Kansas City | $650 million | 44 |
| New York Red Bulls | $645 million | 45 |
| Nashville SC | $640 million | 46 |
It’s no surprise to see high profile clubs like Inter Miami and LAFC flying high, but seeing the likes of Austin FC ahead of English clubs like Aston Villa and Everton – ancient clubs that basically invented the game 150 years ago – is quite a revelation.
How Have MLS Clubs Become so Valuable?
There are a number of reasons.
For a start, the fact that MLS operates as a single entity model with no promotion or relegation gives the clubs in the league financial stability. Sudden spikes or drops in revenue are not as common, so they can plan ahead more effectively.
Major League Soccer is also in a period of ascendance, attracting bigger players but also bigger investments from all over the world as engagement grows rapidly. This means bigger sponsorship deals, broadcast rights, increased merchandise sales, etc. All of this pumps money into MLS clubs.
The league also does its best to maintain a level of parity between the clubs to keep things competitive. If you look at a list of La Liga winners from 1996 to 2025, Real Madrid and Barcelona claim 23 of the 28 titles. In the same period, MLS has had 15 different MLS Cup winners and 17 different Supporter’s Shield winners.
One of these leagues is clearly more competitive than the other, so the clubs are able to grow in value collectively. This is why the top 50 list includes 19 MLS teams and just 3 from La Liga.
I think Major League Soccer has a few more years of rapid growth in it yet, and if that brings more success against clubs in other leagues during international competitions, we may well see a few MLS clubs breaking into that top 15, too.