In addition to being the beautiful game, football is a business for the world’s best clubs. Their ability to make money is essential to their prosperity and survival. Player sales, match ticket sales, and broadcast revenue are just a few of the many ways to make money. Selling football kits and club-branded items is another way to generate revenue.
Some teams have benefited immensely from their sizable, fervent fan groups, who have purchased their football shirts to wear with pride, given the amount of money involved at the top of football right now. The 20 European football teams that earned the most money only from the sale of uniforms and other products during the 2023–2024 season have been identified by a recent Transfermarkt research, and the figures are really astounding.
20Roma
€27m
Roma, who came in at number 20, earned €27 million from the sale of kits and merchandise alone during the 2023–24 season. Regardless of whether Romelu Lukaku’s emergence as a worldwide celebrity boosted sales or not, the Italian team made a strong comeback.
However, the form on the pitch was not replicated by the impressive numbers. Roma had a difficult season that ended in their sixth-place result in Serie A, their elimination from the Coppa Italia quarterfinals, and the dismissal of manager Jose Mourinho. Nevertheless, they did make it to the Europa League semifinals. At least that’s something.
19Ajax
€33m
Ajax has had a difficult few years and has performed far worse in the Eredivisie than their typically high standards. The team had a terrible season last year, finishing fifth in the league and missing out on advancing into the Europa League group round. Their success over the years is very different from this.
However, it appears that their on-field difficulties haven’t hurt their popularity, since no Dutch team sold more merchandise and kits in 2023–2024 than Ajax. During the campaign, they earned €33 million, which is a pretty remarkable amount.
18Besiktas
€34m
The fact that Besiktas made €34 million from clothing and kit sales during the 2023–24 season shows that they have a sizable fan following, even though Galatasaray and Fenerbahce are the most well-known clubs in Turkey and draw the majority of the big names. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s arrival may be the catalyst for Besiktas to improve their on-field performance, which has been lacking for some time.
Midway through the 2024–25 season, the former Manchester United manager takes over as manager of the team, and he has made an immediate impact. After his appointment, he led them on a remarkable run, and they have now returned to fifth place in the Turkish Super Lig. It’s not awful at all, and if they keep moving in the correct way, they may gain more followers and earn even more money in the future.
17Celtic
€35m
Celtic, the most popular team in Scotland at the moment, has long been a major player in the nation. They were engaged in a bitter struggle with Rangers for dominance of Scotland for a long time, but they have been solidly in control ever since their opponents were demoted to the third division of Scottish football and had to start over from the bottom.
The Hoops have won 12 of the previous 13 Scottish Premiership titles, with the exception of the 2020–21 season, and with 54 league trophies in their cabinet, it appears likely that they will surpass Rangers’ current record of 55. They have a sizable fan base as a result of their success, and last season they spent €35 million on kit and retail sales.
16Inter Milan
€46m
Inter Milan, the second Italian team on this list, may not be as well-liked as their regional rivals (more on them later), but they are still among the biggest clubs in Italy and have accumulated a sizable fan base over the years. The team had a good 2023–2024 season, winning the Serie A championship for the twentieth time.
Fans truly adore players like Lautaro Martinez and Nico Barella, and their efforts surely helped Inter earn about €50 million in kit and merchandise sales. However, they are just behind their opponents here, even though they have won one more league title than them.
