Manchester City have become the best paid sports team in the world after leapfrogging Barcelona and Real Madrid for this year’s top spot.
Since billionaire Sheikh Mansour’s takeover in 2008, City have become a global force on and off the football pitch, with the average wage of a first-team player rising to a whopping £5.2million a year.
City’s sky-high earners such as Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez are part of the highest paid sports team in the world, with an average weekly wage for a member of the first-team squad reaching a staggering £100,764, more than £7,000 higher than second-placed baseball side LA Dodgers’ average.
| Rank (Last year’s position) | Team | Sport | Average annual pay £ (Average weekly pay) | Average annual pay $ (Average weekly pay) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (3) | Manchester City | Football | £5,239,750 (£100,764) | $8,059,477 ($154,990) |
| 2 (69) | Los Angeles Dodgers | Baseball | £4,855,783 (£93,380) | $7,468,882 ($143,632) |
| 3 (2) | Real Madrid | Football | £4,718,172 (£90, 734) | $7,257,216 ($139,562) |
| 4 (1) | Barcelona | Football | £4,690,430 ($90,201) | $7,214,545 ($138,741) |
| 5 (6) | New York Yankees | Baseball | £4,649,188 ($89,407) | $7,151,109 ($137,521) |
| 6 (7) | Milan | Football | £4,251,111 (£81,752) | $6,538,811 ($125,746) |
| 7 (5) | LA Lakers | Basketball | £4,090,742 (£78,671) | $6,292,403 ($121,008) |
| 8 (4) | Chelsea | Football | £4,058,742 (£78,053) | $6,242,919 ($120,056) |
| 9 (8) | Bayern Munich | Football | £4,000,036 (£76,924) | $6,152,622 ($118,320) |
| 10 (10) | Inter Milan | Football | £4,000,000 (£76,923) | $6,152,566 ($118,319) |
| 11 (9) | Philadelphia Phillies | Baseball | £3,982,336 (£76,583) | $6,125,397 ($117,796) |
| 12 (11) | Manchester United | Football | £3,921,987 (£75,423) | $6,032,572 ($116,011) |
