LONDON, 14th August 2025 – Al-Hilal SFC is the Middle East’s strongest football club brand with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 80.8/100 and AAA- brand rating, according to a new report from Brand Finance, the world's leading brand valuation consultancy. The other ‘big four’ Saudi teams, Al-Ittihad Club (76.8/100), Al-Nassr FC (75.6/100), Al-Ahli SFC (72.7/100) have all also built strong brands.
All ten Saudi clubs researched have stronger brand perceptions among domestic respondents, when compared to those internationally. Al-Hilal for example has a very strong home BSI of 92.1/100, compared to an international BSI of 57.9/100.
Saudi Arabia’s investment in international stars is paying off, with top clubs seeing a measurable lift in brand strength. Al Nassr now holds an international Brand Strength Index (BSI) of 69.5 out of 100 - nearly 10 points ahead of domestic rivals – likely driven by the Cristiano Ronaldo effect as the world’s most followed person on social media.
Al Ain FC maintains its position as the strongest football club brand in the UAE, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 69.9 out of 100. Al-Wasl SC (61.7), and Shabab Al-Ahli Club (60.9) follow to make up the top three.
Andrew Campbell, Managing Director Middle East, Brand Finance commented:
“The Middle East’s bold investment in football is beginning to yield tangible results on the global stage. Led by the Saudi Pro League, the region is rapidly expanding its commercial and sponsorship footprint while accelerating moves toward club privatisation. High-profile international signings continue to elevate global perceptions - not just of the league, but of the Gulf region as a rising force in world football. As the market matures, strategic investment and commercial discipline will be key drivers of sustained growth, with top club brands expected to strengthen in parallel.”
Real Madrid and Barcelona are the two most valuable and strongest football club brands in the world. Real Madrid’s brand value rose 19% to USD2.1 billion, while Barcelona’s increased by 16% to USD1.9 billion. Both clubs also received AAA+ ratings for brand strength.
The Premier League is the world’s most valuable sports league in terms of brand value with its top ten brands values totalling USD9.1 billion – more than a third (37%) of the total value of the world’s top 50 most valuable clubs. What makes the Premier League particularly unique is the distribution of this value across multiple clubs. Six teams – Manchester City (USD1.6 billion), Liverpool (USD1.6 billion), Manchester United (USD1.4 billion), Arsenal (USD1.3 billion), Chelsea (USD1.1 million), and Tottenham Hotspur (USD890 million) – each hold substantial brand value.
Hugo Hensley, Head of Sports Services, Brand Finance commented:
“The combined value of the world’s top 50 football club brands has climbed to USD24.5 billion in 2025. However, Brand Finance research reveals a growing imbalance across the game, as outside of the Premier League, brand value is increasingly concentrated among a handful of elite clubs in Europe’s top leagues. Brand is no longer a byproduct of performance but is now a defining driver of success. As the sport becomes increasingly competitive both on the pitch and commercially, clubs and leagues must manage their brands strategically to ensure they aren’t edged out of realising the benefits of a strong and valuable brand.”
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organisations make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance operates in over 25 countries. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 6,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.
Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on 6,000 brands, surveying more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries and 31 industry sectors. By combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database — the largest brand value database in the world — Brand Finance equips ambitious brand leaders with the data, analytics, and the strategic guidance they need to enhance brand and business value.
In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance, compliant with ISO 20671.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm and a committed leader in the standardisation of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.
Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.
Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.
Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.
Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
The steps in this process are as follows:
1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.
2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.
3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.
4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.
5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.
6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.
7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.
Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.
The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
