Manchester City surpass Real Madrid to become world's most valuable football brand

The Premier League and FA Cup winners are on the cusp of greatness as they chase down a historic treble, with Pep Guardiola hoping to lead the Citizens to their first-ever Champions League triumph against Inter Milan in Saturday's final.

While Champions League glory has eluded them thus far, Man City have dominated the domestic front for the last 12 years, winning a total of 19 trophies including seven Premier League titles, six EFL Cups and three FA Cups.

Indeed, such supremacy on the pitch coupled with boasting the highest revenue of any club are key factors behind City's growth in the football brand rankings.

Man City have been placed top of the Brand Finance Football 50 Report for the first time in their history, with the club's brand value experiencing growth of 34% since the coronavirus pandemic and a 15% increase over the last year.

The Citizens now boast a brand value of £1.29bn and have overtaken Spanish giants Real Madrid (£1.26bn) - last season's La Liga and Champions League winners - to claim top spot and become the first English club to climb to the summit in six years.

Barcelona (£1.185bn) remain third in the standings, while Manchester United (£1.174bn) have marginally risen to fourth at the expense of fifth-place Liverpool (£1.173bn).

French champions Paris Saint-Germain (£976m) have climbed to sixth place ahead of perennial Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich (£949m), who drop down to seventh, while Arsenal (£782m) have moved up to eighth above London rivals Tottenham Hotspur (£774m) and Chelsea (£742m) in ninth and 10th respectively.

Man City are also at the top of the Deloitte Money League for the second consecutive year after revealing a record revenue of £613m as well as profits of £41.7m.

The Citizens' commercial portfolio and retail operation has also strengthened courtesy of establishing new partners and long-term renewals as well as breaking records for kit sales, with the 2023-24 shirt selling at a rate of one every 12 seconds since its launch at the end of May.

Speaking to the club's official website, Roel de Vries, chief operating officer at City Football Group, said: "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. The club has been performing consistently and has broken records on and off the pitch this season, whilst operating in a way that promotes financial sustainability.

"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."

Man City will be looking to win their 14th trophy under the tutelage of Guardiola when they lock horns with Inter in Saturday's Champions League final in Istanbul.