Manchester United have become the first sports team in the world to be valued at more than $3billion.
A surge in the club's shares after a poor start when they were offered on the New York Stock Exchange in August has seen the overall value of United rise to US$3.3billion (£2.1billion).
According to Forbes, United are comfortably ahead of the world's second-most-valuable sports team, the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, worth $2.1billion (£1.4billion).
The United shares were initially offered to the public at $14 and are now worth just under $17.
It means a huge increase in the overall wealth of the Glazer family, who have a controlling interest in United, and billionaire investor George Soros - the 22nd richest person in the world - who bought a 7.5 per cent stake in the club.
United's commercial growth appears to be driving the share price up, with the club announcing several new sponsorship deals since August, qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages, and with the prospect of the new bumper Premier League television deals that are coming on stream from August.
The Glazers sold 10 per cent of their shares in the initial public offering sale in August but United's vice-chairman Ed Woodward insisted in October the family will not sell the club for "many, many years" despite ongoing interest.
Woodward said they had no interest in cashing in the rest of their holding.
Update:
Hello, regular commenting on Orange News and Sport pages closes on Thursday 30 May 2013. We will continue to provide a commenting facility on major news and sport events on orangeworld.co.uk. Contact us via http://oran.ge/OWfeedback if you have any further questions. Thanks.
what do you think?
Leicester4life
Thats what they are worth but their stil hundreds of millions in debt.
parlane83
Small change to Sheikh Mansour....we have an owner that actually wants to invest in the area of Manchester not make a quick buck MCFC till i die
MadRedDog4
Must love the weather there probably turn it into a golf resort.
Jamie gormley
Sad city fans commenting on utd posts again. differencecis no matter how much the oil baron puts into city. They will always be know as manchesters smallest side
johnnydee23
Just goes to show you don't need to rely on some rich sheik to bail you out, just need to be well managed. Continue to eat your hearts out sad little city fans.
Platinum Music Industries
7:41pm on 28/1/2013
But Real Madrid are still the richest team?