Forbes unveils MLS team, player valuations
Forbes announced Wednesday its fourth-ever MLS team valuations, ranking the North American top flight's 10 most valuable sides based on revenue and future growth projections.
The average MLS club is valued at $185 million, according to Chris Smith from Forbes, an 18 percent increase from the previous year. Seattle Sounders remain the most valuable team - as it had in each of the three prior entries - while last year's expansion sides, New York City FC and Orlando City SC, make appearances, sitting third and fifth, respectively.
All figures are in U.S. dollars:
| Rank | Team | Value ($M) | 2016 Revenue ($M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle Sounders | 285 | 52 |
| 2 | LA Galaxy | 265 | 58 |
| 3 | New York City FC | 255 | 36 |
| 4 | Toronto FC | 245 | 38 |
| 5 | Orlando City SC | 240 | 36 |
| 6 | Houston Dynamo | 215 | 26 |
| 7 | Portland Timbers | 210 | 39 |
| 8 | Sporting Kansas City | 195 | 33 |
| 9 | New England Revolution | 185 | 27 |
| 10 | San Jose Earthquakes | 180 | 31 |
Forbes also released a list of the league's 10 best paid players, and to no surprise, all have enjoyed spells in Europe before a move to MLS:
| Rank | Player (Age) | Club | Salary ($M) | Endorsements ($M) | Earnings ($M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaka (34) | Orlando City SC | 7.4 | 2.0 | 9.4 |
| 2 | Steven Gerrard (36) | LA Galaxy | 6.1 | 2.5 | 8.6 |
| 3 | Sebastian Giovinco (29) | Toronto FC | 7.3 | 1.0 | 8.3 |
| 4 | Clint Dempsey (33) | Seattle Sounders | 4.7 | 3.5 | 8.2 |
| 5 | Tim Howard (37) | Colorado Rapids | 5.5 | 2.5 | 8.0 |
| 6 | Frank Lampard (38) | NYCFC | 6.0 | 2.0 | 8.0 |
| 7 | David Villa (34) | NYCFC | 5.9 | 2.0 | 7.9 |
| 8 | Michael Bradley (29) | Toronto FC | 6.6 | 1.0 | 7.6 |
| 9 | Andrea Pirlo (37) | NYCFC | 5.9 | 1.5 | 7.4 |
| 10 | Jozy Altidore (26) | Toronto FC | 4.9 | 1.5 | 6.4 |
A cursory glance at the players reveals some trends, as two teams, NYCFC and Toronto FC, comprise 40 percent of the list. With an average age of 33.3, it's clear the best compensated players are all approaching the twilights of their decorated careers, and, contrary to what the highest-profile European players earn, the majority of income stems from annual salaries, not endorsements.
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