After Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango became the most decorated player in the Betway Premiership with 12 titles, Soccer Laduma ranks the top five.
5. Daine Klate (6)
Klate has been surpassed along the way since he last won his sixth title with the defunct Bidvest Wits in the 2016/17 season.
The Gqeberha native former winger is the only former or current player on the list who has won the league with three different teams, after his first three with SuperSport United and two with Orlando Pirates.
Read: Treble Joy For Ribeiro & Cardoso In Betway Prem Awards
4. Kennedy Mweene (8)
After joining Sundowns in July 2013 from the defunct Free State Stars, Mweene won his first Premiership title in his first season at Chloorkop with former coach Pitso Mosimane and added the second in the 2015/16 campaign.
The Zambian shot-stopper went on to win six straight league titles at Masandawana from 2018 to 2023 until his retirement.
3. Hlompho Kekana (8)
Kekana is one of the lucky few who joined Sundowns in 2011 with two titles already from SuperSport and he went on to win a further six with The Brazilians, four in a row from 2018 until his retirement in 2021.
Kekana is rated third ahead of Mweene, as he won the league titles with at least two different clubs.
2. Themba Zwane (9)
It took Zwane a couple of years before he won his first league title in the 2015/16 season after he joined in 2011 but had loan spells elsewhere.
‘Mshishi’ has been a pivotal part of all the Sundowns sides who have won the Premiership for eight seasons in a row.
Read: Costa, The Best Foreign Import In The PSL?
1. Denis Onyango (12)
Onyango is the record holder of the most Premiership titles, having joined Sundowns in 2011 (two years out on loan) with three Premiership crowns from Matsatsantsa.
The Ugandan’s first league title with Masandawana was in 2016 before winning eight in a row up to the current campaign.
*former Sundowns midfielder Anthony Laffor also has six league titles to his name, four with The Brazilians and two with SuperSport.
After making a name in Asian football, game against English giants will stay in Mohammed Faeez Khan’s memory forever
Premium
By VUYOKAZI NKANJENI – 01 June 2025
Nine years ago, Eastern Cape-born soccer player Mohammed Faeez Khan took a leap of faith, packed up, and left SA in search of green pastures.
That step into the unknown has seen him build a successful career as a footballer in Asia, and more recently, saw him part of the team that beat Manchester United last week…
MUNICH (AP) — Inter Milan defender Yann Aurel Bisseck will miss Germany’s upcoming Nations League games after getting injured in the team’s Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
Bisseck only made a short appearance in Saturday’s final, going on as a substitute in the 54th minute, then off again in the 62nd with an apparent right leg injury.
The German soccer federation (DFB) said Sunday that Bisseck had muscular problems at the back of his right thigh, ruling him out of the Nations League semifinal against Portugal in Munich on Wednesday, as well as the final or third-place playoff against Spain or France four days later.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann called up Monaco defender Thilo Kehrer in Bisseck’s place. Kehrer was to join the rest of the squad Monday at its training base in Herzogenaurach.
The 28-year-old Kehrer has made 27 appearances for Germany, though none since June 2023.
Mainz midfielder Nadiem Amiri left the camp Saturday and will miss the games with what the DFB said were “adductor problems.”
Nagelsmann had previously called up Mainz forward Jonathan Burkardt to replace the injured Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller.
Stiller wasn’t fully fit but was involved in three of Stuttgart’s four goals as it defeated Arminia Bielefeld 4-2 in the German Cup final.
Soccer-Teenage sensation Doue steps out of the shadows into Champions League stardom
Reuters |
Jun 01, 2025 05:13 PM IST
SOCCER-CHAMPIONS-PSG-INT/ (PIX):Soccer-Teenage sensation Doue steps out of the shadows into Champions League stardom
By Julien Pretot
HT Image
PARIS, – Paris St Germain teenager Desire Doue, who was not even guaranteed a spot in the starting lineup, burst into instant stardom when he lit up the Champions League final as they thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 on Saturday.
With a deft assist and two clinical finishes at Munich’s Allianz Arena, the attacking midfielder, who celebrates his 20th birthday on Tuesday, transformed from squad option to overnight sensation in PSG’s 5-0 demolition of the Italian side.
“He is reaping the rewards of his hard work,” coach Luis Enrique had presciently said weeks before the final. “He will continue to grow. He’s in the right club for his development.”
Luis Enrique’s decision to select Doue over regular starter Bradley Barcola proved inspired.
The teenager repaid his manager’s faith within 12 minutes, intelligently squaring the ball for Achraf Hakimi’s opener when most players would have shot.
Desire’s clinical finishing soon followed as he netted twice to seal victory before departing to thunderous applause from the PSG supporters after 67 minutes of sustained brilliance.
Doue’s ascension has been swift yet measured. After catching French eyes during Les Bleus’ Olympic silver medal run last summer, he made the switch from Rennes to PSG, where he initially waited patiently for opportunities.
Desire showed his composure when converting the decisive penalty in the shootout against Liverpool in the last 16 but Saturday’s performance elevated him from hot prospect to phenomenon.
Bruno Genesio, his former coach at Rennes, offered reassurance for those fearing success might change the young star.
“Away from the pitch he’s a dream: easy, calm, with a streak of leadership while still asking for advice. He’s both care-free and conscientious in his work,” he said.
As Doue joins up with France for next week’s Nations League Finals, the irony is inescapable — at 20 he will arrive with a Champions League winner’s medal that his international teammate Kylian Mbappe left PSG pursuing elsewhere at Real Madrid.
In a club that was deliberately rebuilt without superstars, PSG may have just found one after a night when Doue eclipsed the team’s Ballon d’Or candidate Ousmane Dembele. Allianz Arena Germany PSG Internazionale
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Psg
Allianz Arena
Stay updated with the latest sports news, including latest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, where Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all the action from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, follow your favourite football teams and players with the latest match results, and get the latest on international hockey tournaments and series.
Stay updated with the latest sports news, including latest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, where Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all the action from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, follow your favourite football teams and players with the latest match results, and get the latest on international hockey tournaments and series.
News / Sports / Football / Soccer-Teenage sensation Doue steps out of the shadows into Champions League stardom
Manchester United has been named as the world’s second most valuable club — despite their ongoing struggles on the field — behind Real Madrid, while eight Major League Soccer (MLS) teams make the global top 30 list.
In figures compiled by Forbes, United are valued at $6.6billion (£4.9bn, €5.82bn) with Madrid topping the global list for a fourth successive year at $6.75bn (£5.01bn, €5.95bn).
Advertisement
The figures are based on club accounts for 2023-24, when United finished eighth in the Premier League — their lowest league finish since 1990 — and missed out on Champions League qualification, although they did win that season’s FA Cup. The club finished 2024-25 in 15th and without a trophy, but did reach the Europa League final.
The data outlines how Madrid became the first soccer club to surpass $1bn (£740million, €880m) in annual revenue with $1.13bn (£840m, €1bn) for 2023-24; the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys are the only other sports club to have surpassed Madrid’s figure.
Madrid’s figures were boosted by winning the 2023-24 Champions League, which bolstered their accounts with $154m in prize money.
Madrid’s figures were boosted by winning the 2023-24 Champions League (Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
Barcelona ($5.65bn), Liverpool ($5.4bn) and Manchester City ($5.3bn) complete the top five.
England’s Premier League is the most represented division in the top 30 with 12 teams, with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea all ranking in the top 10.
Elsewhere in Europe, there are four clubs from Italy’s Serie A, three from Spain’s La Liga, two from the German Bundesliga and Paris Saint-Germain as the sole representative from France’s Ligue 1.
Los Angeles FC ($1.25bn) are the highest-ranked MLS club at 15th, with Inter Miami, LA Galaxy, Atlanta United, New York City FC, Austin FC, Seattle Sounders and D.C. United all in the top 30.
The Forbes football rich list is similar to the Sportico model of club valuation, which also monitors and calculates the total values of football clubs. In May 2024, Sportico named United as the world’s most valuable club at at $6.2b ahead of Real Madrid ($6.06bn).
Earlier this month, Forbes published its annual report on the income of the world’s wealthiest athletes with soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo named the highest-paid sportsperson on the planet for the third successive year.
Advertisement
Ronaldo, currently of Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, is estimated to have brought in $275m (£207m) during the 12-month period under assessment.
The 40-year-old Portuguese forward finished ahead of Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry ($156m) and heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury ($146m). Lionel Messi, star of Argentina and Inter Miami, was fifth on the list with earnings of $135m, narrowly behind Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott.
Ronaldo remains the highest paid sportsperson on the planet (Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
The world’s 30 most valuable soccer clubs
Real Madrid, $6.75bn
Manchester United, $6.6bn
Barcelona, $5.65bn
Liverpool, $5.4bn
Manchester City, $5.3bn
Bayern Munich, $5.1bn
Paris Saint-Germain, $4.6bn
Arsenal, $3.4bn
Tottenham Hotspur, $3.3bn
Chelsea, $3.25bn
Juventus, $2.15bn
Borussia Dortmund, $2.05bn
Atletico Madrid, $1.7bn
Milan, $1.5bn
LAFC, $1.25bn
Inter Miami, $1.2bn
Inter, $1.15bn
West Ham United, $1.125bn
Newcastle United, $1.1bn
LA Galaxy, $1bn
Atlanta United, $975m
Aston Villa, $900m
New York City FC, $875m
Brighton & Hove Albion, $860m
Fulham, $850m
Austin FC, $825m
Roma, $810m
Seattle Sounders, $800m
Crystal Palace, $790m
D.C. United, $785m
All figures compiled by Forbes.
How are the valuations calculated?
Forbes calculate valuations based on revenue streams and figures published by club accounts. Forbes describe these as “enterprise values (equity plus net debt) based on historical transactions and the future economics of each league and each team”.
The figures are taken from accounts for the relevant period (2023-24 for European clubs, February 2025 for MLS sides) and rounded to the nearest $1m.
The team valuation is broken down into four categories: matchday, broadcast, commercial and club brand.
Broadcast is comprised of distributions from domestic league, cups and European competitions.
Commercial revenue is based on a team’s value derived from sponsorships, merchandising and revenue from other commercial operations.
Matchday revenue is derived from gate receipts and corporate hospitality revenue.
Forbes say that alongside published accounts, their data is drawn from “team executives, soccer team investors, credit rating agency reports and sports bankers, as well as the annual Deloitte Football Money League report and the soccer finance reporter known as Swiss Ramble”.
Why are MLS clubs so valuable?
Revenues in MLS are low, clubs rarely turn a profit and they are unable to tap into UEFA’s money on offer in European competition. So why do its clubs feature so prominently on the list?
Forbes highlight that European leagues have their own unique challenges, which either are not applicable to MLS sides or less relevant. Forbes say European valuations may be impacted by factors such as “significant debt, restrictive ownership requirements, underwhelming rises (or even declines) in media rights fees, and bureaucratic red tape that makes stadium improvements difficult.”
Advertisement
The absence of relegation from MLS also adds stability to MLS valuations and increases the floor of income levels, while Forbes say that the presence of a salary cap can “keep spending in check”.
The league’s valuation has also been boosted by a 10-year broadcast deal with Apple, and a series of high-profile player arrivals including Lionel Messi at Inter Miami that has boosted its global profile, while the U.S. will also be among the host nations for the 2026 World Cup.
The biggest decision for Luis Enrique and PSG was who to start in the front three – Bradley Barcola or Désiré Doué?
Enrique has opted for teenager Doué, who has been a constant threat in recent rounds and has been rewarded for these fine performances with a start in the biggest game of his young soccer career.
#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/DfZHUhymoO
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 31, 2025
Doué, however, isn’t the only young player in PSG’s starting lineup – a stark contrast from Inter Milan’s team.
Per Opta, there is a five-year-and-146-day gap between the average age of both lineups, the biggest ever between two teams in a Champions League final.
PSG’s starting lineup has an average age of 25 years and 96 days with Inter Milan’s at 30 years and 242 days.
Youthful exuberance or experienced knowhow? Only time will tell.
Inter Milan: Yann Sommer; Benjamin Pavard, Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni; Denzel Dumfries, Nicolò Barella, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Federico Dimarco; Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martínez
