The Most Expensive Sports Teams in the World in 2026

The Dallas Cowboys are the most expensive sports team in the world in 2026, valued at roughly $13 billion by Forbes. That figure puts “America’s Team” ahead of every other franchise on the planet, including the biggest names in the NBA, MLB, and European soccer. The Cowboys have not reached a Super Bowl since the 1995 season, but their brand power, national fan base, and stadium revenue keep them at the top of the money list year after year.

Franchise values have climbed sharply across every major sport in 2026. Media rights deals, private equity money, and a wave of high-profile ownership sales have pushed valuations higher than almost anyone expected five years ago.

Which Sports Team Is Worth the Most Money in 2026?

The Dallas Cowboys hold the top spot among all sports franchises worldwide, with Forbes placing their value at about $13 billion. Sportico’s independent estimate lands close behind at $12.8 billion. Owner Jerry Jones has built the Cowboys into the NFL’s biggest earner even without a recent playoff run, generating an estimated $629 million in operating income last season alone.

No other team in any sport comes close. The gap between the Cowboys and the next most valuable NFL franchise runs into the billions, and NFL teams as a group dominate the global rankings more than any other league.

The NFL Owns the Top of the List

Combined, NFL franchises account for 13 of the top 20 most valuable sports teams in the world. The average NFL team is now worth about $9.3 billion, a jump of roughly 31 percent in a single year, the biggest one year gain Sportico has recorded since it began tracking NFL values in 2020.

Team	League	Estimated Value (2026)
Dallas Cowboys	NFL	$13.0 billion
Golden State Warriors	NBA	$11.3 billion
Los Angeles Rams	NFL	$10.4 billion
New York Giants	NFL	$10.3 billion
Los Angeles Lakers	NBA	$10.0 billion
New York Knicks	NBA	$9.75 to $10.1 billion
New York Yankees	MLB	$9.4 billion
Real Madrid	Soccer (La Liga)	$9.5 billion
New England Patriots	NFL	$8.8 billion
Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	$4.3 to $4.4 billion

Values come from Forbes, Sportico, and CNBC 2026 valuations, which use slightly different methodologies and can land a few hundred million apart on the same team.

Every one of the NFL’s 32 teams now ranks among the world’s 40 most valuable sports franchises, according to Sportico. Even the league’s least valuable team, the Cincinnati Bengals, is worth more than every NHL franchise and most MLB and NBA teams outside the top tier.

Why Are NFL Teams Worth So Much More Than Everyone Else?

The short answer is national television money. The NFL shares its media rights revenue equally across all 32 teams, so even small market clubs collect the same nine figure check as the Cowboys or Patriots. That shared revenue base, combined with a hard salary cap that keeps costs predictable, makes every NFL franchise a reliable cash machine for its owners.

Add in massive stadium deals, corporate sponsorships, and a fan base that treats football as a near religious weekly event, and it is easy to see why NFL teams fill most of the top 20.

How the NBA and NBA Teams Compare

The Golden State Warriors are the NBA’s most valuable team and the second most valuable franchise in North American sports behind only the Cowboys. Sportico values the Warriors at $11.33 billion, while Forbes and CNBC put the figure closer to $10.8 to $11 billion. The Warriors generated an estimated $833 million in revenue last season, helped by ownership of their own arena, the Chase Center, and one of the league’s richest jersey sponsorship deals.

The Los Angeles Lakers followed at roughly $10 billion after Mark Walter purchased a controlling stake in the team in 2025, the richest price ever paid for a control stake in a sports franchise at that time. The New York Knicks round out the NBA’s top three, with valuations ranging from $9.75 billion to just over $10 billion depending on the source.

Three NBA teams now sit above the $10 billion mark, a milestone that would have seemed unthinkable a decade ago when the entire league averaged closer to $1 billion per team.

Baseball’s Billion Dollar Rivalry

In Major League Baseball, the New York Yankees remain the most valuable franchise for the sixth straight year, worth an estimated $9.4 billion according to Sportico. But the Los Angeles Dodgers are closing the gap fast. Sportico values the Dodgers at $9.05 billion, just 4 percent behind the Yankees, down from a 46 percent gap five years ago.

The Dodgers’ rise tracks closely with the team’s on field success and the commercial impact of Shohei Ohtani, whose personal sponsorship deals overlap with several of the team’s own sponsors. The Dodgers generated an estimated $1.1 billion in revenue last year, a threshold previously reached only by the Cowboys and Real Madrid among global sports franchises.

Soccer’s Most Valuable Clubs

Real Madrid is the world’s most valuable soccer club for the fifth year running, worth an estimated $9.5 billion according to Forbes. The club posted $1.27 billion in revenue for the 2024-25 season, a record for any soccer team and just ahead of the Cowboys’ NFL revenue mark from the same period.

English Premier League clubs make up more than a third of Forbes’ top 30 soccer valuations, with 11 teams on the list. Combined, the top 30 soccer clubs are worth roughly $87 billion, and Forbes notes that investor interest in European soccer is still growing.

The NHL Sits Well Behind the Other Leagues

Hockey remains the smallest of the major North American sports by team value. The Toronto Maple Leafs top the NHL at roughly $4.3 to $4.4 billion, the only NHL team worth more than $4 billion. The New York Rangers rank second at around $3.65 to $3.8 billion depending on the source.

Even so, the NHL has grown faster in percentage terms than any other major league over the past three years, with average franchise values more than doubling since 2022 thanks to new media rights deals and rising gate revenue.

Where This Money Comes From

Franchise values keep climbing for a few consistent reasons across every sport covered here:

• Media rights deals. National and international broadcast contracts have grown significantly across the NFL, NBA, and top soccer leagues.
• Stadium and arena ownership. Teams that own their venues, like the Warriors and the Cowboys, capture revenue beyond ticket sales.
• Private capital. More institutional investors and private equity groups now see sports franchises as long term assets rather than passion purchases.
• Global fan bases. Brands like Real Madrid and the Cowboys draw sponsorship dollars far beyond their home markets.

What This Means for Sports Bettors

Team valuations do not predict who wins on the field, and a team’s business worth has no bearing on point spreads or moneylines. The Cowboys have not reached a Super Bowl in three decades despite topping the value charts, and the Warriors’ business dominance has not always lined up with playoff results in recent seasons. Bettors who want to track how financial strength, roster spending, and market size actually affect competitive performance can find current odds and matchup breakdowns through our sports betting guides.

Responsible Gambling

Sports betting should stay entertainment, not a way to make money. Set a budget before you bet, stick to it, and never chase losses by increasing your stakes. If gambling stops feeling fun or starts affecting your finances or relationships, resources like the National Council on Problem Gambling (1-800-522-4700) offer free, confidential support.