Treble-chasing Manchester City are now the most valuable football club brand in the world

Manchester City have been revealed as the world's most valuable football brand as the newly crowned Premier League and FA Cup winners came out on top in the 2023 Brand Finance Football 50 Report. Manchester City's move into first place knocks Real Madrid off of the number one spot after the Spanish giants sustained a four-year run at the top of the list prior.

Manchester City's rise to the top comes from a 34 per cent growth surge in its brand value since the COVID-19 pandemic. Brand Finance's report also displayed City's brand went up in value by 13 per cent from last year up to £1.29 billion whilst at the same time Real Madrid's brand value dropped by four per cent down to £1.26 billion.

Manchester City's finances remain impressive as the club also topped the Deloitte Money League 2023, marking a second consecutive year leading that. This was through recording a record revenue amount of £619.1 million plus making profits of £41.7 million.

In addition to having the largest revenue of any club in the report, City's ascendence into first place was largely put down to an era of dominance as the club has achieved incredible on-the-pitch success since winning its first Premier League title in 2012. From that moment onwards, the club has won a further six Premier League titles in addition to multiple League Cups and FA Cups, and show zero signs of slowing down anytime soon.

The Champions League may be the prize that the club has not got its hands on yet, but a Champions League final appearance on June 10th against Inter Milan in Istanbul could give Manchester City its first-ever triumph in that competition. A potential victory would form as part of a treble-winning season and it would be only the second occasion where an English team has achieved the feat with Manchester United in 1999 being the sole instance so far.

Head of Sports Services at Brand Finance, Hugo Hensley, offered his thoughts on the 2023 Brand Finance Football 50 Report and explained why Manchester City are ranked at the top. He pronounced: "Manchester City FC has achieved an extraordinary feat by surpassing Real Madrid to become the champion of football club brands. This year's ranking highlights that Manchester City FC are performing off the pitch in terms of building a strong brand and attracting fans and sponsors."

Manchester City's retail operation has had a stellar season, breaking records in kit sales during the 2022/23 campaign. Also, the recent official launch of the 2023/24 home kit proved very popular as a shirt was sold every 12 seconds on the opening day of sales.

Additionally, there have been numerous new partners and long-term renewals for the club announced in the recent season which has bode well for the club's commercial portfolio.

Increased engagement on the club's social media channels is another area which has reflected City's rapid growth in recent years as the club is the most popular in Europe when it comes to views and active users on YouTube this season.

Chief Operating Officer of City Football Group, Roel de Vries, spoke glowingly on City's achievement as the world's most valuable football club brand. He commented: "Being recognised as the world's most valuable football club brand reflects the phenomenal growth story that Manchester City has had in recent years. This achievement recognises the evolution of not just the brand, but the Club as a whole."

Additionally, de Vries touched on what can be expected from Manchester City ahead, stating: "As we look to the future, we want to keep investing in the right things – our football talent, the city of Manchester and our local community, infrastructure and fan experience. We have a proven track record of innovation and are excited for the next chapter in this Club's great history."

In terms of what Manchester City specifically have planned ahead, it includes planned work at the Etihad Stadium to make the site a leisure destination, a place where there can be entertainment all year round and where supporters can have a fantastic experience. The club has sent a planning application to Manchester City Council to get approval for this development at the stadium.

The 2023 Brand Finance Football 50 Report also revealed that five other English clubs were in the top ten list of the most valuable football club brands. This included Manchester United in fourth place, Liverpool in fifth, Arsenal in eighth, Tottenham Hotspur in ninth and Chelsea in tenth.