It is known worldwide as 'the beautiful game' although you might not know it from recent ugly behaviour on and off the field, and indeed in the courts of China. But a spate of surveys and statistics has shown that football is the world's most popular and most lucrative sport.
According to the superficial judgment of Facebook 'likes', Barcelona is the world's most popular football team, with 23.76 million 'likes'. That makes Barcelona the globe's 31st most popular personality, behind US President Barack Obama, who has 24.29 million 'likes'. Real Madrid comes in second with 22.45 million 'likes', followed by Manchester United with 20.88 million. Film star Jackie Chan has 21.83 million.
By the less ethereal calculations of how much football clubs are worth, Forbes calculated in April that Manchester United was worth US$2.24 billion, making the club the world's most valuable sports team, US$385 million more than baseball's New York Yankees or the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys. Real Madrid is worth US$1.88 billion and Barcelona US$1.31 billion.
Another firmer, but still incomplete, financial measure is how much sports stars earn. The Sportingintelligence website calculated last month that Barcelona players were the world's best-paid, with players collecting an average of US$166,934 a week, or US$8.68 million a year. Real Madrid players came second with US$149,935 a week, followed by Manchester City (US$142,380).
According to another list, of the highest-paid footballers this year, Lionel Messi of Barcelona is the world's highest-paid footballer, earning Euro33 million (HK$401 million), followed closely by Englishman David Beckham, of Los Angeles Galaxy, on Euro31.5 million.
The real superstars are able to earn as much off the field as on it. Messi's money comprises only Euro10.5 million in salary, another Euro1.5 million in bonuses and a massive Euro21 million in advertising and sponsorship deals. Beckham similarly makes large sums off the field.