Top 5 Most Powerful Soccer Clubs In The World

5 richest soccer clubs in the world as of 2013

Soccer clubs have become big business in recent years, with owners and investors pumping many, many millions into clubs in order to make them successful. It's become the norm for rich businessmen and oil sheikhs to compete with one another using soccer clubs as the weapons of choice. As a result, money has been plowed into these clubs and some of the world's greatest players have been tempted to join them in order to reap the rewards on offer

Soccer revenues have increased massively in recent years with the advent of sponsorship deals encompassing everything from shirts the players wear and sustenance they rely on, to renaming rights for stadiums and training kits

The determination of the most powerful clubs to go global with their appeal is such that players are no longer bought in by clubs just solely because of their quality. Some of the most popular players are bought in by certain clubs just to increase the sponsor's reach in different markets around the world

David Beckham wasn't bought by PSG because of his ability with a soccer ball, he was bought as a marketing tool — plain and simple. Brand Beckham was purchased so PSG could increase their global appeal as a team, therefore attracting more sponsors and bringing more revenue into the club

Television broadcasting rights have also played a huge part in determining the most powerful clubs in the world, with Premier League soccer broadcasting rights generating $6 billion alone to be divided among just 20 clubs. Real Madrid and Barcelona make the most out of TV broadcasting as they are the only two clubs allowed to negotiate their own revenues

I have used Forbes as a guide to compile the following list.

James Hilton is a soccer writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter , Facebook or add him to your network on Google

5. Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich takes fifth place on the list with a total worth of $1.3 billion.

4. Arsenal FC

Arsenal make it to fourth spot with a total worth of $1.32 billion.

3. FC Barcelona

The Catalan giants take third spot with a value of $2.6 billion

2. Manchester United

The Premier League champions are pushed into second place with a value of $3.16 billion.

1. Real Madrid

The year's new leaders and richest club in the world are Real Madrid with a total value of $3.3 billion.