Ask any football fan across the world and they would most certainly agree: Football is a crazy sport. Especially nowadays, with clubs splashing the cash left and right to get their target players. Merseyside giants Everton, for example, spent nearly £120-million on transfers last summer – more than what they’ve spent on the previous two seasons combined.
We’ve also seen Paris Saint-Germain smash to high heaven the world’s transfer record when they brought in Neymar from Barcelona for a staggering £199-million – more than the market value of Tottenham Hotspur’s entire squad.
Sure, most of these expenditures get recouped through sponsorship deals and TV rights incomes. These sources are definitely where most of the money comes from. But in order for a random fan to measure income as well as their popularity at the same time, the perfect gauge would be shirt sale, more to the point, which lets figure out the club with the most shirt sales .
Shirt sales have always been used as a barometer to know a club’s standing in terms of both their finances and their global reach. A steady stream of sales always mean good news for any club. So, which clubs has the most of it? According to statistics, here are the top ten clubs with the most shirt sales.
10. AC Milan (350,000 shirts sold per year)
Opening this list are a club whose roots stretch back to football’s golden days of the 90’s. Indeed, AC Milan are definitely one of the most successful clubs in the history of the sport and it’s no wonder they are still popular today. True, they have not been as triumphant on the pitch in recent years as they would’ve liked, they are still true giants in football.
9. Inter Milan (425,000 shirts sold per year)
From one Milan club to another, Internazionale Milano, more commonly known as Inter, are another Italian side who’ve seen better days in the early nineties to the early 2000’s. Thanks to charismatic manager Jose Mourinho, the club have climbed to the summit by winning the Champions League back in 2010 – the same year the Nerrazurri won the Serie A and the Coppa Italia, making them the first ever Italian side to win the Treble.
8. Juventus (480,000 shirts sold per year)
Another Italian side make it to the list with Juventus coming in at eighth. The Turin giants have definitely been the most successful Italian side in recent years. Under the management of then manager Antonio Conte, the Bianconeri have managed to win the Serie A title in 2012 and have won the top-flight trophy six consecutive times since then. That kind of success can definitely bump up sales, and success appears to be something Juve won’t be running out of any time soon.
7. Arsenal (800,000 shirts sold per year)
The English Premier League have finally entered the list, with Arsenal first to join the fray. The historic club have certainly seen better days but make no mistake, they are one of the most successful clubs in England – with a record 13 FA Cup wins – and their annual shirt sales is a testament to that. Managed by the iconic Arsene Wenger, who has been at the club since 1994, the Gunners continue to be a formidable team in the Premier League today.
6. Liverpool (810,000 shirts sold per year)
Another English club joins the fold, and this time, it’s none other than Liverpool Football Club. Whether you love them or hate them, the Anfield outfit are one of the very few clubs in history of the sport with a very popular catchphrase: “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. Having enjoyed a fantastic run during the fifties to the eighties, the Merseyside giants haven’t had much success in terms of trophies recently, but they are still a force to be reckoned with in the English top-flight, and their shirt sales are a testament to that.
5. Bayern Munich (880,000 shirts sold per year)
Our fifth contender hail from the German Bundesliga and they are none other than Bayern Munich. The Bavarian giants have always been at the forefront of German football and have been successful for quite some time now. They’ve had a record 27 league wins and were the first German team to complete the Continental Treble back in 2013, winning the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal, and the Champions League. With unbridled success, it’s no wonder Bayern are one of the most popular clubs in football today.
4. Chelsea (910,000 shirts sold per year)
Despite their relatively recent success, Chelsea make it to this list with the way they’ve climbed to the top. Thanks to their wealthy owner Roman Abramovich, the Blues of London were able to scrape their way from mid-table mediocrity to European Elite since 1999. From there, Chelsea have won a handful of trophies, including five Premier League titles and a Champions League crown. With the Blues dominant in the Premier League, their popularity – and their shirt sales – won’t likely be going down any time soon.
3. Barcelona (1.15-million shirts sold per year)
Seriously, who hasn’t heard of La Liga giants FC Barcelona? Any football fan worth his salt should know of the existence of this massive team. The Blaugrana have been dominating the Spanish top-flight since time immemorial and their esteemed academy, La Masia, has produced many iconic players, most notably the four-time Ballon d’Or winner and Argentina superstar Lionel Messi. With a whopping total of 90 trophies to their name, it’s no wonder Barca have such a large number of shirt sales.
2. Manchester United (1.4-million shirts sold per year)
Arguably the most successful club in English football, none can argue against the immense popularity of Manchester United. Thanks to their legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, the Red Devils have won a grand total 38 trophies in a span of 24 years. From Law, to Irwin, to Sheringham, to Cantona, to Ronaldo, to Rooney, to Van Persie, many of Ferguson’s players have become global icons and it’s no wonder the club have been selling shirts like crazy.
1. Real Madrid (1.4-million shirts sold per year)
With their immense success over the years, it’s no surprise that Real Madrid have made it to the top of the list. Having won a record 12 Champions League trophies over the years, Los Blancos have been dominating world football for a long time, and their popularity is a testament to that. It doesn’t hurt either that they have one of the most popular, if not the most popular, player of all time: Cristiano Ronaldo. With success on the pitch almost a given for this side, their shirt sales are unlikely to drop any time soon.