Celtic are the only Scottish club to be named in report listing the Top 50 Football Brands

Celtic have come in at 44th in an annual report detailing the top 50 brands in world football. 

A variety of factors are taken into consideration for the May 2022 report which concludes that Real Madrid has replaced Bayern Munich at the top of the list compile by Brand Finance. 

Celtic domination of Scottish over the last decade, including winning 14 of the last 18 domestic trophies, is a factor alongside the overall structure and visibility of the club. Next week in Las Vegas thousands of Celtic fans will get together which is something that very few clubs can attain with the Convention entirely driven by supporters, not by sponsors or an in-house commercial team. 

The 74 page report examines every aspect surrounding the game from sponsorship and broadcasting through to digital developments and success on the park which all combines to produce the rankings. 

With a return to the Champions League coming up and opportunities in Japan and Australia the Celtic brand should increase in value over the next 12 months. 

Interestingly Celtic are listed as a UK rather than Scottish brand despite Scotland’s very distinct football identity. 

Introducing the report, David Haigh of Brand Finance explains: 

Professional sports and football in particular fosters some of the most recognizable brands globally. Top clubs such as Real Madrid, Man Utd, Bayern Munich and others boast brand strength similar to that of Coca Cola and Google which truly puts their calibre into perspective. Many of these top clubs earn sizeable sums through broadcasting, commercial and matchday income with a significant chunk of commercial income being derived from corporate sponsorship, a market which continues to grow each year. With such significant money on the table and the rise of new opportunities across the industry, the necessity for a clear understanding of all aspects of football finance is crucial to the success of all stakeholders in the industry. We trust you will find the insights generated in this report informative and useful in your endeavours, and we look forward to continuing the conversation with you in the future. 

Flamengo of Brazil are the only non-European club to make the top 50 list which concludes that even without a trophy win in over a decade Spurs are an established top 10 brand while Real Betis and Atalanta appear for the first time.