Atlético ranked as 14th most valuable football club by Forbes

Forbes released its annual ranking of the world’s most valuable football clubs on Tuesday, and Atlético Madrid placed 14th in the American business magazine’s list.

Atlético moved up one place from the 2016 list and Forbes estimates the club’s current value at $732 million. Last year, Atleti were valued at $633 million, and the magazine stated that the club has seen a 16 percent boost in value - a mark bested in the rankings only by West Ham United (17 percent).

West Ham are one of eight Premier League sides on the list, which is topped by Europa League winners Manchester United (valued at $3.69 billion). Barcelona come in second at $3.64 billion, followed by Liga Santander and Champions League winners Real Madrid at $3.58 billion.

Atlético brought in $254 million in revenue over the past year on an operating income of $56 million. While respectable, this is still a very long way from the other two Spanish giants, which both generated $688 million. Barcelona’s operating income stood at $102.1 million, while Real Madrid’s stood at $181 million.

Atlético’s run to the 2016 Champions League final netted the club $77 million, the best among Spanish clubs other than Madrid. Atleti will be able to again pocket substantial cash this season thanks to a third semifinal appearance in four years. Further, the move to the Wanda Metropolitano is expected to help clear the club’s outstanding debts and make significant inroads on the list’s 10 most valuable clubs. The progress also can be measured by glancing at the 2014 list. In the past three years, Forbes says Atleti’s value has more than doubled and revenue has gone up $100 million.

While the mattress makers’ financial picture is a bit less cloudy due to the unprecedented success of the past five-plus years, Diego Simeone’s men continue to punch above their weight competing against the rich list’s upper echelon.