Real Madrid News
Real Madrid bag 20th place on Forbes’ list of most valuable clubs
It is no secret that Real Madrid is the biggest institution in world football, and a couple of seasons away from their best does not change that fact one bit.
The past two seasons have been rough for Los Blancos as they failed to win any major trophy last season, and followed suit this campaign as well.
However, their value as an institution remains almost unperturbed and they continue to rule as the biggest club in world football.
The global picture
As reported by Defensa Central in a recent report, Forbes recently announced a list of the 50 most valuable clubs in the world spanning across all popular sports.
Real Madrid, valued at a handsome $6.75 billion, stand firm in 20th place on that list and is the highest-ranked football team as well. Surprisingly, football does not have great representation on that front.
The NBA and the NFL continue to dominate the rankings in terms of the value clubs hold.
The Dallas Cowboys are placed first on the list with a staggering valuation of $13 billion while the Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants are placed third and fourth at $10.5 billion and $10.1 billion respectively, making the NFL well represented.
The NBA, meanwhile, has clubs like the Golden State Warriors placed second with $11 billion and the Los Angeles Lakers in fifth with $10 billion.
The football scene
At $6.75 billion, Real Madrid are the highest valued football club. The second-highest ranked club in the sport, surprisingly, is Manchester United at $6.6 billion.
Barcelona, meanwhile, languish in 44th place at a valuation of $5.65 billion and have fallen steeply from their 20th place ranking in 2024.
For Real Madrid, the lack of a trophy in two seasons has indeed come as a blow to their valuation but they continue to go strong owing to big-name signings, massive merchandise sales, and a strong global presence.
Hosting the NFL at the Santiago Bernabeu, needless to say, also played a part in growing the value of the club.
According to TeamTalk, Real Madrid have joined the growing list of clubs monitoring Gabriel Rajkovic, a 15-year-old winger whose rapid development at Valerenga has already attracted attention from several of Europe’s leading sides.
The Merengues are known for keeping an eye on exciting young talent across the globe and it seems that Rajkovic’s exploits in Norway, with the first team, have alerted them.
Real Madrid keeping tabs on Rajkovic
As per the report, Real Madrid are among a host of clubs closely following the progress of the young forward.
Rajkovic holds both Norwegian and Serbian nationality and has emerged as one of the most promising young players in Norway.
His development has not gone unnoticed, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also understood to be monitoring him.
However, at this point, it is Arsenal and Chelsea, who are understood to be leading the charge for Rajkovic, having compiled a detailed dossier on the teenage prodigy after extensive scouting.
On top of that, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all watched Rajkovic in recent weeks.
Real Madrid could therefore face significant competition if they decide to step up their interest in a player who has already made an impression at senior level.
Making an impact at just 15
Rajkovic was handed a promotion to the Valerenga first-team squad in January earlier this year, when he was only 14 years old.
Following that, he signed a new contract with the club in March, when he turned 15, committing to the club until 2028.
Despite being only 15, the winger has already begun gaining experience in first-team football. In all, he has made 14 senior appearances for the Norwegian outfit, scoring three and assisting one goal.
Rajkovic has also represented Norway Under-16s, making two appearances and scoring once despite being younger than many of his teammates.
Those numbers become more impressive when his age and stage of development are taken into account.
Real Madrid have built a reputation for identifying young talent well before players reach their peak, and Rajkovic has now emerged as another name on their scouting radar.
But given the number of clubs in the race, signing the teenage wonderkid will not be easy.
