Real Madrid hold major financial advantage over Barcelona, according to La Liga analysis
Over the past few decades, Real Madrid and Barcelona have gone head-to-head in their pursuit of dominance in La Liga and across Europe, often contending for the biggest titles each season. However, off the field, the gap between the two clubs has grown increasingly wide.
This week, La Liga published detailed figures regarding the budgets of all 20 clubs in the league. The report is based on a financial analysis of income and expenses to determine each team’s squad cost limit for the current season.
In that breakdown, Real Madrid hold a massive lead over the rest of the Spanish clubs. Based on their revenue, Los Blancos are permitted to spend €761 million (nearly $900 million) on their squad this year. That figure puts them at the top of the rankings, more than doubling their closest competitors.
Barcelona are second on the list with an allowance of €351 million. What stands out is not just the massive gap with Real Madrid, but also the sharp decline from last season’s figure. In the 2024-25 season, according to the same La Liga analysis, Barcelona’s squad cost limit was €463 million, meaning a drop of €112 million compared to this year.
Barcelona’s financial struggles
The significant drop in funds available to Barcelona can partly be attributed to the club’s severe financial issues over the past decade—but that’s not the whole story. In recent years, their numbers had been improving steadily, a trend that has now been disrupted.
When asked about the situation, La Liga corporate general director Javier Gomez pointed to the delayed renovation of Camp Nou as a key factor. “Barcelona are functioning without their stadium, they have a ton of revenue there. We’re talking about €70–80 million a year,” he explained. “They’re going to recover, the question is whether it will be in 10 months or when it’ll be.”
Indeed, Barcelona haven’t played at Camp Nou in over two years. They finished the 2022-23 season there, but ahead of the following campaign, moved to the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Montjuic to prioritize a costly and extensive renovation of their home ground.
Originally, the side was expected to return by the end of 2024, then mid-2025, but those timelines have not been met. The delays have resulted in major financial losses, including an inability to sell premium suite packages and the need to play in a venue with far less capacity.
The rest of La Liga
The ranking released by La Liga also offers a look at the financial standings of the league’s remaining clubs. As expected, Atletico Madrid rank third behind the two giants. Their squad cost limit is €326 million, putting them close to Barcelona.
The top five is rounded out by Villarreal (€173 million) and Real Sociedad (€128 million). Sevilla, another club under financial strain, sit at the bottom of the ranking with a squad cost limit of just €20 million.