Football has become a lucrative business in the modern era and the beautiful game has become flush with flash cash from some of the richest business persons and states in the world.

If you’re filthy rich, it seems the sport has become an attractive package for billionaires to flex their wealth and financial muscles in exchange for honour and prestige. They appear to be no longer content with just owning mega-yachts, private jets, or even whole islands for themselves.

The new status symbol for the super-wealthy? Owning a football club. It’s a world where the thrill of victory on the pitch is matched only by the glitz and glamour it brings to the boardroom. Every goal, every trophy, and even the odd humbling defeat is not just about points on the leaderboard but a reflection of the might and influence of its owners.

The likes of Newcastle United, Manchester City, and Liverpool are flying the flag for the Premier League in this one. However, it’s not just the English top flight that is rolling deep in it. Using data courtesy of a report from Statista, along with other sources, these are the 14 wealthiest football owners in 2026.

14

Nassef Sawiris

Aston Villa (£4.9bn)

Nassef Sawiris is an Egyptian billionaire businessman and a prominent figure in global industries such as construction, telecommunications, and real estate. In 2018, Sawiris, alongside American investor Wes Edens, purchased a controlling stake in Aston Villa through their investment firm, NSWE (Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens). Sawiris officially replaced Tony Xia as chairman following the acquisition.

The deal, valued at approximately £30 million, was a key moment in Villa’s financial recovery after a period of instability. Sawiris and Edens have since overseen significant investment in the club, with the former using his £4.9bn valuation to help guide the Villains to an incredible return to European football, before they won the Europa League just a few months ago.

13

Francois-Henri Pinault

Stade de Reims (£5.7bn)

The owner of Stade Rennais in Ligue 1 isn’t short of cash to splash and is the honorary chairman of the luxury group Kering, which owns brands like Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, and Gucci.

Pinault is worth a staggering £5.7 billion according to the data, but other reports have been quoted as claiming his net worth reaches as high as £31.6 billion. His money and investment has done little to bring success to Stade Rennais since taking ownership from his father in 2017, despite investing a lot of money into the club in an attempt to turn their fortunes around.

Kering, the company Pinault’s father founded in 1963, was originally a wood and building materials company. However, in 1999 the Frenchman decided to change the direction of the business towards luxury goods.

12

Dietmar Hopp

TSG Hoffenheim (£5.8bn)

Dietmar Hopp is the owner of Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim and has a pocket flush with cash. The German billionaire founded SAP SE and has reportedly invested in excess of £350m in Hoffenheim during his reign of ownership.

In March 2023, Hopp decided to give back the majority voting rights of Hoffenheim while retaining his position as the club’s majority shareholder. This came after years of protests that the club were not adhering to 50+1 ownership rules in German football. Since then, Hoffenheim have faced relegation battles and are constantly at risk of being demoted to the second tier of Germany.

11

Joe Lewis

Tottenham Hotspur – (£6.20bn)

While Daniel Levy was the one calling the shots at a technical level until his exit last summer, he has not been the man with the financial power. That responsibility has always belonged to Joe Lewis, the British billionaire whose family trust controls the club. Lewis made his fortune through currency speculation, most notably profiting from the UK’s withdrawal from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism in 1992.

He later founded Tavistock Group, a diverse investment firm. In 2001, Lewis acquired a controlling stake in Tottenham for £22m, a sum worth around $32m at the time. Since then, he has played a significant role in the club’s financial strategies and global expansion, though he almost faced jail time in 2024 after pleading guilty to insider trading. He was instead fined £4 million.

10

Nasser Al-Khelafi

Paris Saint-Germain (£6.20bn)

According to a 2024 report from The Metro, Nasser Al-Khelafi, owner of Paris Saint-Germain, is worth a mouth-watering £6.2 billion, which sees him climb up the rankings. The Qatari had gran plans for the French giants, to turn them into a European megapower, but has so far fallen short of his goal of winning the Champions League.

Under his watchful eye, Les Parisiens have seen the blockbuster signings of Neymar and Lionel Messi and big-money brand partnerships with Nike and Jordan. But it wasn’t until appointing Luis Enrqiue that they finally saw their riches translate into tangible success, having now won back-to-back Champions League mantles.

But it isn’t just football that Al-Khelafi is interested in, the PSG owner also has a massive passion for the game of tennis, so much so that he is the second most successful member of the Qatari Davis Cup team.

9

Stan Kroenke

Arsenal (£6.29bn)

American billionaire Stan Kroenke is the owner of Arsenal and MLS club Colorado Rapids and has a net worth of £6.29 billion based on the report. Kroenke isn’t just involved in the world of football however, and his company also owns the NFL side Los Angeles Rams, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, and the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL.

The American tycoon owns a vast amount of land in the US and Canada, an amount that stretches over 1.5 million acres, Forbes revealed. The Arsenal owner is also married to another billionaire, Walmart heiress Ann Walton Kroenke, just in case he ever lost a few of his own quid. Despite his financial successes, it’s no secret that Kroenke has not been the most popular character in North London over the years. But now that they have finally won the Premier League again, it’s been said that the good performances on the pitch should ‘diminish the fans’ hatred’ for Kroneke.

8

Shahid Khan

Fulham (£9.7bn)

Fulham owner Shahid Khan trumps his London rival, according to the report. This puts the Pakistani-American billionaire businessman in the number seven position on our rich list.

Known for his eccentric looks and marvellous moustache, the Fulham owner also owns the NFL franchise the Jacksonville Jaguars and the All Elite Wrestling organisation. Despite this, the world of sports is not where Khan made his worth. Flex-N-Gate Corporation, the automotive manufacturing company, is where it all started for him while he was studying at the University of Illinois, but opted to take the plunge into the magical and mysterious world of Fulham in 2013 – finalising a deal of around £150 – £200 million reported at the time, although it was never actually revealed to the extent of the funds used to the buy the West London club.

That being said, his investment in the club has helped the Cottagers climb back into the Premier League and retain a relatively healthy position in the standings.

7

Philip Anschutz

LA Galaxy (£10.5bn)

Anschutz owns a stake in MLS side LA Galaxy alongside a majority ownership in the NHL team the Los Angeles Kings. He has a net worth of around £10.5 billion making him one of the richest owners in world football.

The Billionaire Galaxy owner built his fortunes in oil, railroads, telecom, real estate, and entertainment and his Anschutz Entertain Group operates more than 350 owned or affiliated arenas and concert venues worldwide. A six-year-old Anschutz sold Kool-Aid on a nearby college campus using a wheel stand he built, proving he was always cut out for the business way of life.

6

David Tepper

Charlotte FC (£14.6bn)

David Tepper only recently dipped his toes into the world of football through his MLS expansion side Charlotte FC, who made their debut in the competition in 2022. He’s the owner of NFL side Carolina Panthers and will be relatively unknown to fans of the beautiful game around the world, nevertheless, the big Tepper made his way onto our list.

The American billionaire hedge fund manager is the founder and president of Appaloosa Management, a global hedge fund based in Miami Beach, Florida, and opted to get involved in football ownership in 2019, when he was awarded Charlotte FC just weeks before the turn of the decade and began playing in 2022 at Bank of America Stadium. Tepper reportedly paid $325 million in expansion fees for the franchise, setting an MLS record, per ESPN. This record still stands at the time of writing.

5

Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Manchester United (£21.6bn)

INEOS chief and Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a name a majority of Premier League fans will have heard about in recent months. A self-professed Red Devil as a child, United fans hoped that Ratcliffe’s arrival as a minority shareholder in 2024 would spark a dramatic shift in fortunes at Old Trafford.

However, that has not materialised. Instead, his cost-cutting measures have alienated him from the fanbase and caused frustration within the club, particularly after staff were told their jobs were at risk due to widespread redundancies. There is still a long road ahead, both for United to return to the top and for Ratcliffe to rebuild the trust he has lost among supporters and employees, but the Michael Carrick era has got off to a great start.

The 2026/27 La Liga campaign is on the horizon, and what a season it promises to be.

Barcelona go into the campaign as the reigning champions and looking to win the Spanish title for the third consecutive season. To help them with their bid, they have signed the likes of Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, while 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri is expected to follow.

They will have to overcome a new-look Real Madrid side that is now managed by Jose Mourinho. Los Blancos were well off their best in 2025/26 and have added the likes of Yan Diomande, Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries, Bernardo Silva and Ibrahima Konaté to their star-studded squad.

Atletico Madrid will also be looking to challenge after struggling in 2025/26.

Elsewhere, newcomers Racing Santander, Deportivo La Coruña and Málaga will all be looking to avoid returning to the second tier.

Ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, which kicks off on Saturday, August 15, we have asked ChatGPT to predict the final La Liga table in full.

Bottom Half (20-11)

REUTERS/Marcelo Del Pozo

Unfortunately for Racing Santander, Deportivo and Malaga, ChatGPT thinks they will all return to Spain’s second tier at the first time of asking.

Malaga managed to secure their progression back to La Liga via the playoffs. Of the newly promoted sides, they are expected to put up the biggest fight, but ultimately they just fail to survive.

Elche are predicted to finish two points clear of the drop zone, with Levante and Alaves also doing just enough to avoid relegation.

Osasuna avoided relegation from La Liga in the 2025/26 season after losing all five of their final matches. Despite losing star man Victor Munoz to Liverpool, they are expected to finish well clear of the drop zone this time round.

Espanyol, Rayo Vallecano and seven-time Europa League champions Sevilla are predicted to finish 13th, 12th and 11th respectively.

Top half (10-1)

REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo

In 2025/26, Getafe finished in an impressive seventh to qualify for the Europa Conference League. They aren’t expected to do as well in 26/27, though, as they finished outside the European spots and just scrape into the top half.

Valencia are predicted to finish ninth for the second consecutive campaign, with 2025/26 Copa del Rey champions Real Sociedad a place above them.

Celta Vigo are backed to finish seventh, which will likely be enough for a place in Europe. Athletic Club are expected to finish sixth, with Villarreal in fifth and Real Betis in fourth.

Atletico Madrid had a very poor 2025/26 campaign, finishing fourth with just 69 points. They are predicted to fare better in 26/27 as they finish third with 76 points, but that’s still well off the eventual winners.

Mourinho will be looking to bring the good times back to Real Madrid and AI thinks he’ll do just that, with his side being backed to narrowly reclaim their La Liga title. ChatGPT thinks they’ll finish on 91 points, three clear of fierce rivals Barcelona.

Ben Jacobs has given an update on Manchester United‘s transfer battle with Arsenal for Leicester City youngster Louis Page who looks increasingly likely to arrive in the Premier League this summer.

Michael Carrick insisted this week that United needed more signings following the first-team arrivals of Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos, and Karl Darlow. With just over a week until the new season, the Old Trafford faithful have grown frustrated by the lack of business from INEOS since July.

Midfield had been the priority heading into the summer following Casemiro’s departure. While the Red Devils haven’t quite replaced him with a similar profile, they have moved for two exciting options and all signs have pointed to a third midfield signing.

Man Utd Lead Arsenal in Louis Page Race

Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

High-profile names such as Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni and AS Roma’s Manu Koné were on United’s shortlist. But neither looks set to join the club; instead, the next arrival could be one of English football’s top midfield prospects.

Jacobs, though, has revealed that Old Trafford bosses are confident of landing Leicester’s teenage starlet Page, despite interest from Arsenal. He said on the latest episode of GIVEMESPORT’s Market Madness podcast:

Page, dubbed “fantastic,” is one of the most highly-rated teenagers who has only made 22 senior appearances for Leicester but has already caught the eye of two of the Premier League’s biggest clubs. Likened to Jude Bellingham, the left-footed central midfielder has earned glowing reviews following his performances in the EFL Championship last season.

The 18-year-old won the Championship Apprentice of the Season award at the 2026 EFL Awards earlier this year. His former Foxes boss Marti Cifuentes tipped the Lutterworth-born midfielder for a bright future:

Page mostly operates as a number eight and he possesses incredible vision along with clever movement. He has three caps for England U19’s to his name and many believe he can become a top talent in the Premier League.

Man Utd Youth Focus Could Pay Off

United have focused on building for the future during this window, and should they win the race for Page, he’d be the latest youngster to arrive at Old Trafford. INEOS’ strategy has already proven successful, as evidenced by Ayden Heaven’s impressive start to his career with the Red Devils after arriving from Arsenal in February 2025.

One of the biggest academy arrivals this summer has been Tynan Thompson, who joined from Tottenham Hotspur. The club agreed on an £8m package deal for the 18-year-old, who is held in similar regard to Page.

Welsh goalkeeper Kit Margetson has also joined Darren Fletcher’s youth squad, arriving on a free after the 20-year-old left Swansea City. And the latest is 18-year-old Colombian attacking gem Cristian Orozco, who has headed to Old Trafford from Colombian Categoria Primera A side Fortaleza CEIF.

United fans feel Carrick deserves more backing and are eager for INEOS to add more proven names to his squad. But they are also enthused by a clear strategy to secure long-term success by trusting in youth.