Top 10 Best Football Club in the World (Ranked)

Across the world, several prominent or under-the-radar football clubs have a rich, trophy-laden history, a passionate fan base, or both. Several clubs have a historically unmatched legacy or have performed brilliantly over the past few years. Determining the best football club in the world is a difficult decision to make, as the factors determining it can be subjective in nature. Several factors need to be taken into consideration; for example, clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and PSG have attained immense success on the pitch over the years. Be it brand value, no. of supporters or the trophies won, such clubs have made a name for themselves.

As the 2025/26 season has already begun, the debate around the question “which football club is the best in the world?” has heated up. The reason? It's because apart from your usual favourites, some new contenders have also emerged, such as Arsenal is one of them, due to their blistering start in the EPL and UCL. Also, some of their best players in the world in 2025 are also leaving their mark by playing for these teams. We have taken the recent success as a primary ranking factor to come up with our list of the best football clubs in the world, to ensure there is no bias.

List of Best Football Clubs in the World (2025)

With current form as a major ranking factor, along with other factors like historical legacy & club infrastructure, we have compiled our list of the top 10 best football club in the world. It is based on the performance of the recently concluded season, the current form in their respective leagues and as well as the way the club is run.

How We Ranked the Best Football Clubs in the World?

To eliminate bias, we have decided to reveal our ranking factors to the readers, along with providing reasons behind choosing them to determine the best football club in the world.

• Current Form: Since we are talking about the best football club in the world in 2025, their current form (in the last 365 days) must be the major factor to decide where to rank which club. The clubs with the best form right now will be ranked higher.
• Trophies Won: Here, we have considered trophies won domestically as well as continentally. This showcases how competitive a club is while challenging for top honours.
• Legacy: The legacy of any football club determines that club's future roadmap & as well as influences the decision-making. Also, we will get to know about some iconic players & managers who had impressive stints with the clubs.
• Club Infrastructure: Key to any club's success is its infrastructure. A club's training facilities, stadiums and youth academies often play a role when a player has to decide whether to join that club or not. The best recent example being… one of the many reasons German star Florian Wirtz joined Liverpool was its state-of-the-art training facilities.

Which Football Club is the Best in the World?

10. Chelsea (Premier League)

With a current valuation of $3.25 billion according to Forbes, and the not-too-long-ago achieved success of winning the FIFA Club World Cup and the Conference League, you must be wondering, Why is the West London-based club Chelsea in 10th, not higher in our list of the best football club in the world. The reason behind it is the club's current form, which is also our primary ranking factor. A lot has changed for the Blues since the end of the trophy-laden era of the previous owner, Roman Abramovich. Under new owners, the club is going through a transition phase as it is splashing over a billion dollars to sign high-potential young players by handing them some of the longest contracts in Premier League history.

Chelsea has won a total of 35 trophies to date. This includes six EPL titles, eight FA Cups, five League Cups, two UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Europa Leagues, 2 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 UEFA Conference League & 2 FIFA Club World Cups. Despite generating revenue of $642 million & possessing one of the best academies in England, Chelsea's struggle to perform consistently on the pitch means they could only be ranked 10th. After a strong start to the 2025/26 season, Chelsea have now suffered 3 defeats already after just 9 matchdays. Provided they recover their form & compete for top honours, their position might improve after a few months.

9. Manchester City (Premier League)

Manchester City takes the 9th spot, thanks to their astronomical rise in the last decade. By boasting a valuation of $5.3 billion, an increase of 11.9% from the previous year, revenue of $901 million & operating income of $141 million in 2025, the Cityzens have set a benchmark for other football clubs to operate in a financially astute manner. Solidifying their position as a Premier League powerhouse has also helped elevate their status among the elite clubs further. Due to their recent domination of the English Premier League, Manchester City is always in the discussion related to the best football club in the world.

Players like Sergio Aguero, the all-time top scorer of Manchester City, Yaya Toure, Vincent Kompany, David Silva, De Bruyne & more are the legends who have contributed a lot to the club's domestic & European success. Meanwhile, managers like Roberto Mancini and Pep Guardiola have raised the bar for other managers within the EPL and in Europe. Currently, Manchester City are in a period of transition as they finished the last season with only a Community Shield to show. After splashing more than 300 million pounds in the winter & summer transfer windows in 2025, the new players are still adapting as they are still over-reliant on the Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, while some key players are injured. But with a coach like Pep, ther eis a chance that City can turn it around as the season progresses.

8. Liverpool (Premier League)

The club ranked 8th on our list is none other than the 2024/25 EPL winners Liverpool. In the current year, according to Forbes, the Reds' current valuation is $5.4 billion, revenue $773 million & operating income is $76 million. This highlights how well-managed the club is since FSG's takeover and the following of a sustainable business model. They are one of the richest clubs in the Premier League, thanks to their number of Premier League, Champions League titles won. The success they have achieved in the last 10 years, particularly under Jurgen Klopp, has made them one of the best football team in the world.

Legends like Steven Gerrard, Kenny Dalglish, Bill Shankly & more grace the club's rich historical legacy, while Jurgen Klopp, along with modern-day greats like Mohammed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk & Ryan Gravenberch, are responsible for the club seeing through a modern-day trophy-laden spell. Their most recent success was winning last season's Premier League. This summer, the club is going through a transition after splashing more than 400 million on players like Florian Wirtz & Alexander Isak, with the duo becoming the most expensive Premier League signings ever. Due to their dwindling form in the league, they are ranked lower in our list of the top 10 best football club in the world.

7. Inter Milan (Serie A)

Continuously competing for top honours in the last 5 years means that Serie A outfit Inter Milan is always in the conversation around the best football clubs in the world. The club boasts a valuation of $1.15 billion and revenue of $430M in the current year. The 20-time Serie A winners Inter, after years of financial and operational mismanagement, have recovered well to stay competitive. The club winning 2 out of the last 5 scudettos is a testament to their rise to the near top-end of elite-level football. Though they suffered a chastening 5-0 defeat to PSG in last season's UCL final, the fact that they reached two Champions League finals but other elite clubs failed shows their desire to compete consistently at the top level.

With star players like Alessandro Bastoni, Marcus Thuram, Hakan Calhanoglu & the Argentine striker Lautaro Martinez, the Nerazzurri boasts a formidable squad to challenge for major trophies for years to come. Inter's rich history is graced with players like Javier Zanetti, Ronaldo Nazario & managers like Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte & Mancini. The club have also tasted a fair amount of success in Europe, winning the UCL 3 times. Currently, Inter is involved in a neck-to-neck Serie A title race against Napoli, Milan and Roma. If this consistency continues further, then you can see the club climb higher in our rankings as well.

6. Napoli (Serie A)

Due to their recent resurgence, which began last term under Antonio Conte, Napoli is ranked 7th among the best football team in the world. Even though the Partenopei don't have a rich, trophy-laden history like the other clubs on this list, the reigning Serie A champs can be considered among the world's best football clubs due to their comeback last season, which followed a disappointing 2023-24 season. With players like Scott McTominay, Frank Anguissa, and Romelu Lukaku (when fit) performing consistently, the club have strengthened their squad by signing one of the best midfielders in English Premier League history, Kevin De Bruyne.

Currently, Napoli is sitting at the top of the summit in Serie A, showcasing their status as one of the elite football clubs. In the last 3 seasons, the club have captured Scudetto in the 2022/23 and 2024/25 seasons respectively. With one of the best Italian managers, Antonio Conte as their manager, they are back to challenging for major honours after spending almost 40 years in the wilderness.

5. FC Barcelona (La Liga)

At the 5th position, we have the Catalan club FC Barcelona. Due to years of financial mismanagement, the La Liga giants have struggled to maintain their accounts due to monetary obligations hindering their process of spending money and registering new signings in recent seasons. Barcelona is among the best football club in the world based on their recent performances over the last year, plus their upward trajectory of on-pitch performance means that the club can compete consistently.

Despite their downfall in the early 2020s due to corruption within the club and financial mismanagement, the club started to get back on track after deciding to promote academy players from La Masia, the best football academy in the world, into their first team. With players like Lamine Yamal, hailed as the best young player in the world, Pedri, Cubarsi and more, this change in direction bore fruit as the club won the domestic treble in 2024/25. Talking about the infrastructure, FC Barcelona is set to return to their home ground, Camp Nou, but is facing delays since. But once they return to the renovated stadium, it will help the team earn more revenue, enabling them to mitigate the financial crisis. Although at present they are behind Real Madrid in La Liga and going through an injury crisis, once those key players are back, Barca will gain the lost ground too. Hence, it's no surprise that Barcelona is among the best club in the world.

4. Real Madrid (La Liga)

One club that can be termed as the perennial winners of the title of the best football club in the world is none other than 15-time UCL winners Real Madrid. With an astronomical valuation of $6.8 billion, Los Blancos' financial might remains unmatched. Record matchday ticket sales & high match attendance at the renovated state-of-the-art iconic Santiago Bernabeu are two of the major factors behind the club recording a whopping $1.13 billion in revenue in 2025. Their management has made various key decisions regarding financial management by spending the funds on investing in the signing of high-potential young players & at times, world-class players like Kylian Mbappe & Bellingham. The Los Blancos have been one of the best Spanish football teams, winning countless trophies, which include a record 15 UCL titles, 36 La Liga titles, and 8 Club World Cups.

Despite a modest 2% one-year value change, the club’s robust revenue of $1.1 billion cements its position as the richest football club in the world. Under Xabi Alonso and with players like Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Arda Guler, Dean Huijsen & more, the club is ushering into a new era. They are at the top of the La Liga and have made a strong start in the Champions League as they are aiming to put the disappointment of the 2024/25 season behind them as they are aiming to reclaim their status as the best club in the world.

3. Arsenal (Premier League)

Third on our list is none other than the North-London-based club Arsenal, which is in a strong financial position in 2025 with a current valuation of $3.4 billion. But what's most impressive is the fact that their valuation has grown by a whopping 31% & revenue has been $771 million. These impressive financial numbers have solidified their position as one of the richest clubs in the Premier League. The Gunners are also one of the most supported football clubs in the world, with one of the most vocal fanbases ever.

Talking of on-pitch performance, in recent years, Arsenal have delivered performances that make them worthy of being included in our list of the best football club in the world. The Gunners have recorded three successive 2nd place league finishes and have also reached last season's UCL semi-final after dismantling the perennial UCL winners Real Madrid. Known for producing some of the greatest players and managers in the form of Thierry Henry, Ian Wright, Patrick Vieira, Arsene Wenger, and Herbert Chapman in their peak years, to now ushering in the new era with players like Bukayo Saka, Odegaard, Declan Rice, the Gunners are on the right track under Mikel Arteta. Thanks to their shrewd recruitment and to their capability of integrating young players in the first team, this time they look on track to take that one big step required to end their 21-year Premier League drought.

2. Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)

Representing the German Bundesliga, Rekordmeister Bayern Munich has positioned itself as a financial powerhouse with a current valuation of $5.1 billion. The Bavarians are the biggest & most successful club in Germany, as it has won 34 Bundesliga titles & 6 UCL titles. Although the club has seen only 2% growth in its valuation compared to last year, it very much boasts a healthy financial portfolio due to an impressive $827 million in revenue. This exemplifies how Bayern is better than even most of the other elite clubs in the financial management of the club.

Bayern is the club with one of the largest fan bases in the world, which, across generations, has seen legendary players like Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Oliver Kahn, Philipp Lahm, Thomas Müller playing for their club, & coaches like Ottmar Hitzfeld, Jupp Heynckes, and Hansi Flick as well. After underperforming in Europe for a while & losing some degree of ruthless dominance in the league, Bayern seems to be back at their best. Currently in the 2025-26 season, they are on 15 15-match unbeaten streak after winning all the matches so far. Led by star players like Harry Kane, Luis Diaz & Michael Olise, the Die Roten are playing entertaining football, showcasing why they are one of the best football teams in the world.

1. Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1)

Thanks to the shrewd recruitment, winning the quintuple & due to playing attractive football under Luis Enrique, Ligue 1 giants PSG is currently the answer to your question “which football club is the best in the world?”. Unsurprisingly, it is also a financial powerhouse with a staggering current valuation of around $4.6 billion according to the latest data by Forbes. On the other hand, the Parisians have continued their dominance in the French top division, securing successive Ligue 1 titles. Despite the complex nature of financial challenges in football, PSG managed to witness a 5% one-year value change. The club generating $870 million in revenue underscore their global appeal & financial dominance.

Some might not like PSG due to the fact that it is state-backed and hence can sign any player it wants without many hurdles. But there is no denying the fact that after the arrival of Luis Enrique and the sporting director Luis Campos, PSG have been in flying form. The shifting of focus from signing mostly marquee players has also helped. Due to this shift in recruitment strategy, Luis Enrique was able to make Les Parisiens play as a team. This culminated in them winning a quadruple last season, making the club the best team in France & Europe. Currently, PSG are sitting at the top of Ligue 1, have won all their UCL matches, which include a thumping 7-2 victory over Bayer Leverkusen. The fact that PSG are still maintaining such high standards justifies them being ranked as the best football team in the world.