The lottery system kept these teams away from facing each other before the semi-finals, on the basis of the possibility of them continuing in the tournament, which was actually achieved. The strength of three of them is inseparable from their possession of huge local leagues that enjoy high funding within large European economies.
Spain, ranked first, is the fourth largest economy in the Eurozone, with growth expectations of 2.1% in 2026, compared to 0.7% for the region. Its domestic product will reach $1.9 trillion in 2025, with an average per capita income of nearly $38,000 and inflation of 2.7%.
Real Madrid leads the world’s clubs with revenues amounting to 1.2 billion euros in the 2024-2025 season, followed by Barcelona with about 975 million euros, then Atletico Madrid locally with revenues reaching 455 million euros, according to the “Money League 2026” report issued by “Deloitte.”
As for France, it has the second largest economy in the European Union, with an output of $3.37 trillion, an average per capita income of nearly $49,000, and inflation at 0.9%. But its growth remained at 0.8%, while public debt is expected to reach 120% of GDP in 2027.
Paris Saint-Germain is considered the most prominent French football financial force, having achieved revenues of approximately 837 million euros, ranking fourth in Europe, and it is the only French club among the 20 largest clubs in terms of income.
In England, the Premier League is based on a British economy worth $4 trillion, with an average per capita income of about $58,000 and inflation at 3.9%. Despite the slowdown in growth after Brexit, the English Premier League remained the largest with a financial presence.
The list of the largest English clubs in terms of revenue includes Liverpool with 836 million euros, Manchester City with 829 million, Arsenal with 822 million, Manchester United with 793 million, Tottenham with 672 million, and Chelsea with 584 million.
On the other hand, Argentina reaches the golden square from a different economic reality. Its domestic product reached $683 billion, and the average per capita income was about $15,000, while inflation declined from 219% in 2024 to 39% in 2025.
Boca Juniors and River Plate remain its most prominent clubs, but the total sponsorship revenues in the Argentine league did not exceed $28.16 million in 2024, a wide financial difference from the other three European leagues. (Al Jazeera)
