Real Madrid Top Sports Teams Rich List

Real Madrid have retained their number one spot in Forbes' list of the world's 50 most valuable sports teams - with seven of the top 10 places taken by US franchises.

According to the American business magazine, the Spanish football giants, who came second in La Liga last season, are worth $3.26bn (£2.08bn).

That was 5% down on last year owing to a fall in the value of the euro against the dollar, but their revenue of $746m (£477m) kept them ahead of the competition.

The NFL's Dallas Cowboys, up three spots from last year, and Major League Baseball's New York Yankees, up from fourth place in 2014, were tied for second with a value of $3.20bn (£2.04bn).

Real Madrid's great rivals Barcelona ($3.16bn - £2.02bn) and England's Manchester United (NYSE: MANU - news) ($3.10bn - £1.98bn) were fourth and fifth.

The other top five spots all went to US teams, including Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) and New England Patriots (NFL), both valued at $2.60bn (£1.66bn).

Outside the top 10, Formula One's Ferrari ($1.35bn - £860m) were ranked 32nd, while the Toronto Maple Leafs ($1.3bn - £830m) were the only National Hockey League team on the list.

The other most valuable football teams were Manchester City ($1.39bn - £890m), who were 29th overall, Chelsea ($1.37bn - £877m), who were 31st,, and 36th-placed Arsenal ($1.31bn - £839m).

According to Forbes, which began valuing sports franchises in 1998, the world's 50 most valuable teams are worth an average $1.75bn (£1.12bn), up 31% on 2014.

The 10 most valuable teams (in billions):

1. Real Madrid (football) - $3.26

2. Dallas Cowboys (NFL) - $3.20

2. New York Yankees (baseball) - $3.20

4. Barcelona (football) - $3.16

5. Manchester United (football) - $3.10

6. Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) - $2.60

6. New England Patriots (NFL) - $2.60

8. New York Knicks (NBA) - $2.50

9. Los Angeles Dodgers (baseball) - $2.40

9. Washington Redskins (NFL) - $2.40