Brand Finance research shows rising football fandom across the UAE and Saudi Arabia is driving greater engagement with local clubs
LONDON, 2 September 2026 - Al-Hilal SFC remains the Middle East's strongest football club brand, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 80.4/100, according to the Football 50 2026 report by Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy.
However, the composition of Saudi Arabia's 'big four' has shifted this year: Al-Nassr FC (79.8/100) has risen to become the country's second-strongest brand, followed by Al-Ahli SFC (75.5/100) while Al-Ittihad Club (70.9/100), drops from second to fourth.
Al-Nassr's climb follows its first Saudi Pro League title since 2018/19 and a run to the AFC Champions League Two final, while Al-Ahli's rise reflects a gain of almost three points in Brand Strength Index, driven by its AFC Champions League and Saudi Super Cup victories, alongside a third-place Pro League finish.
This growing strength is also evident in the clubs' digital engagement: Al-Ahli leads all clubs on the proportion of its fan base in Saudi that follows it on social media, at 41%, followed by Al-Nassr at 36% and Al-Hilal at 34%. Four of the five leading clubs globally on this measure are either Saudi or Portuguese, highlighting the strength of digital-first fan relationships in these emerging football markets.
The scale of audience engagement among Saudi Arabian football fans now suggest that this is more than a visibility story. Football is followed by 64% of Saudis, almost three times the level of the next most-followed sport, Formula 1. Within this highly engaged football audience, 87% follow the Saudi Pro League, while 28% of international football fans say they follow the league. Importantly, engagement among this international following is also particularly high.
Savio D'Souza, Managing Director Middle East & Africa, Brand Finance commented:
“Across the region, the next phase of football development will be about converting investment into sustainable brand strength. In Saudi Arabia, the growing gap between the leading four clubs and the rest of the league demonstrates that long-term success will depend on more than marquee signings, with sporting performance, commercial strength and fan engagement increasingly important. In the UAE, investment in infrastructure, grassroots development and the wider football ecosystem is creating a strong foundation for club brands, with Al Ain currently leading the way. As these initiatives mature, we expect their impact to increasingly strengthen the wider football market.”
Al-Ain FC maintains its position as the strongest football club brand in the UAE for a second consecutive year, with a BSI score of 72.8/100, up almost three points on 2025 and making it the only UAE club rated AA for brand strength. Shabab Al-Ahli Club (62.7/100) moves into second place, ahead of Al-Wasl SC (60.8/100), which slips to third.
The UAE's rankings reflect a government-led strategy built around infrastructure and ecosystem investment rather than star signings alone, including new stadium developments for Al Jazira, Shabab Al Ahli and Al Wasl, and league sponsorship deals with ADNOC and Emirates. Al Ain's continued lead is reinforced by its 2024 AFC Champions League win and subsequent appearance at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The wider rankings show that investment alone does not guarantee stronger brands. Sustainable brand strength is built over time through investment not only in facilities and infrastructure, but also in fan engagement, player development and on-pitch performance. These investments create the foundations for stronger brand equity, but their impact may take several years to fully translate into brand strength.
Brand Finance's brand valuation methodology requires sufficient publicly available financial information to calculate a robust brand value. As many football clubs in Saudi Arabia and the UAE do not disclose the financial data required for valuation, these clubs are assessed using the Brand Strength Index (BSI) but are not assigned a published brand value.
The Middle Eastern clubs featured in this year's Football 50 are concentrated in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, reflecting the scale and pace of investment in football across both markets.
Global Insights
Real Madrid CF retains its position as the world's most valuable football club brand for the third consecutive year, with brand value rising 25% to EUR2.4 billion. It also remains the world's strongest football club brand, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 95.8/100, the highest of all 281 clubs analysed by Brand Finance. The club’s strength reflects its strong global reputation, passionate fanbase, star players, heritage and prestige, and association with elite-level football, as highlighted by Brand Finance’s sports fan research.
FC Barcelona retains second place, with brand value increasing 15% to EUR2 billion. Its growth has been supported by a return to Spotify Camp Nou after more than two years away, alongside back-to-back LALIGA titles under Hansi Flick.
Arsenal FC is one of the standout performers of the 2026 ranking, climbing five places to third – its highest-ever position in the Football 50. The club's brand value rose 28% to EUR1.5 billion, following its first Premier League title in 22 years and a Champions League final appearance. Arsenal has also overtaken Manchester United to become the UK's strongest football club brand, with a BSI score of 94.0/100, ranking fourth globally.o electrolyte and functional beverages, and functional drinks now accounting for a combined USD33.4 billion in brand value.
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, 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.
