PSG, Real Madrid Reportedly Top World’s Best-Paid Sports Team Rankings – Bleacher Report

Paris Saint-Germain’s average wage bill is higher than any other team in world sport, according to 2015’s annual report from Sporting Intelligence and ESPN The Magazine.

PSG has since disputed the report and released a statement:

Paris Saint-Germain firmly denies the information published this Wednesday in the recent study by SportingIntelligence for ESPN concerning the average first-team player salary.

While winning the Ligue 1 for the third consecutive year, the Club is still not on top of the global sports brands in terms of salaries. Contrary to the hierarchy established in the recent study published by SportingIntelligence for ESPN, Paris Saint-Germain is not even in the top 5 of this ranking. The salaries of our first team don’t match the figures mentioned in the study, which are clearly over-estimated.

The club however appreciates the interest of the international media, and looks forward to meeting them during our upcoming summer tour of North America in July.

ESPN reported players at the French football club earn an average weekly wage of £101,898, paying out more than Spanish giants Real Madrid (£96,933) and 2014’s biggest spenders Manchester City (£96,455), while La Liga champions Barcelona (£90,675) rank fourth. The Los Angeles Dodgers (£89,999) are the only non-football club to feature in the top five.

Here’s a look at the top 12 best-paid sports teams for 2015:

REVEALED – the best paid teams in global sport. Full story and report: http://t.co/RseJOIKTCd pic.twitter.com/8YE2I4vnTb

— sportingintelligence (@sportingintel) May 20, 2015

Sporting Intelligence also provided information on the breadth of clubs covered:

More on global sports salaries. Links to get the full report, free: http://t.co/HGmqXumr4B pic.twitter.com/y8zLt3zCcB

— sportingintelligence (@sportingintel) May 20, 2015

PSG’s ascension to the top of the list comes as a result of Qatar Sports Investments’ takeover. The oil-funded company has rescued the capital-based club from constant Ligue 1 struggle, turning them into a powerhouse of European football.

Indeed, five of PSG’s domestic titles have been captured in the last three years. Global stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani, Thiago Silva and David Luiz have been signed, ushering in a new era of success along the way.

UEFA’s financial fair play rules—which essentially task major football clubs with breaking even—may have stopped teams such as PSG from spending even more in recent times. However, UEFA President Michel Platini suggested in an interview with French radio station RTL that the restrictions could be “eased,” per BBC Sport’s Matt Slater, perhaps suggesting European football will dominate the Sporting Intelligence/ESPN the Magazine rankings for years to come.

Real Madrid’s summer acquisition of Colombian playmaker James Rodriguez—who outlined his star quality to many casual viewers at the 2014 World Cup—added yet another so-called “Galactico” to the side’s arsenal. Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale rank among the club’s most recognised stars.

Only four of the designated top 12 aren’t European football teams, with the New York Yankees (ninth) and the Detroit Tigers (12th) joining the Dodgers on the list. Three other MLB clubs—the San Francisco Giants (13th), the Washington Nationals (16th) and the Boston Red Sox (17th)—are all included in the top 20, per ESPN.com.

Five NBA teams also found their way into the top 20. Unsurprisingly, the Brooklyn Nets are ranked 11th—the NBA’s highest average earners—after being taken over by Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. Like many of the highest-paying teams, the Nets haven’t been scared off by megacontracts for players like Joe Johnson and Deron Williams to make an instant impact.

This hasn’t gone to plan, however. Johnson earns more than Cleveland Cavaliers superstar and global face of basketball LeBron James, according to ESPN.com. Former All-Stars Williams and Brook Lopez have also been culpable of offering less than their best form, intertwined with injuries, for the Big Apple club.

The Nets are joined by city rivals the New York Knicks (15th), the Los Angeles Clippers (18th), the Sacramento Kings (19th) and the Denver Nuggets (20th) in the extended rankings. According to Nick Harris of MailOnline, the NBA is the highest-paying sports league on the planet.

However, the NFL comes out on top in the attendance stakes, per Sporting Intelligence:

ICYMI: world’s best attended sports leagues (AVG attendance): NFL miles ahead at No1, then Bundesliga, EPL, AFL. pic.twitter.com/VJRFyAbY3B

— sportingintelligence (@sportingintel) May 19, 2015

It’s no coincidence that many of the teams featured have enjoyed significant success across recent years. A quick rise to power often lures world-class sportsmen, which in turn tends to result in further success.

As such, huge wages often need to be paid just to stand still in the world’s most competitive divisions.