7 of 10 richest sports clubs in the world are American

The Dallas Cowboys may not have won a Super Bowl since 1996, but they have jumped 5% in valuation to $4.2 billion and successfully defended their World's Most Valuable Sports Teams title. The list, compiled by Forbes, was released on 13 July. Prior to Dallas Cowboys two-year run, Spanish football club Real Madrid held the title for three consecutive years.

Going down the list, it's clear that the National Football League (NFL) in America is the most profitable sporting league in the world. The average NFL team "earned an operating profit (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of $91 million and no one banked less than $26 million," said Forbes. There are a whopping 29 NFL teams in the list of 50 most valuable franchises.

Looking at other sports, there are eight Major League Baseball (MLB) teams, seven National Basketball Association teams and seven European football teams round up the list.

Here are the top ten most valuable sports teams of 2017:

1. Dallas Cowboys

League: National Football League
Valuation: $4.2 billion

The Dallas Cowboys valuation increased 5% to keep their #1 ranking. The Cowboys went on an eleven game winning streak during the regular season, their best ever. The season ended prematurely in the divisional playoffs when they lost to the Green Bay Packers on a last-second field goal.

2. New York Yankees

League: Major League Baseball
Valuation: $3.7 billion

The New York Yankees haven't won a World Series since 2009. Their valuation increased 9% to $3.7 billion. The New York Yankees failed to make the playoffs the last season.

3. Manchester United

League: Barclays Premier League
Valuation: $3.69 billion

Manchester United rebounded from missing out on the Champions League by winning the Europa Leauge. They were top of Forbes' list in 2011 and 2012 and in 2017 rank as the most valuable football team.

4. Barcelona

League: La Liga
Valuation: $3.64 billion

Last year Barcelona went on a 39 match unbeaten streak, beating Real Madrid's La Liga record. Barcelona lost the title to Real Madrid by three points and went out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals. They did end up winning one title, the Copa del Rey.

5. Real Madrid

League: La Liga
Valuation: $3.58 billion

Despite winning the La Liga, Real Madrid's valuation dropped 2% to $3.58 billion. Real Madrid also won the Champions Leauge, beating Juventus 4-1 in the final. Real Madrid won the FIFA Club World Cup as well with a 4-2 (after extra time) victory over Kashima Antlers.

6. New England Patriots

League: National Football League
Valuation: $3.4bn

During 2016, the New England Patriots became the first NFL franchise originating from the American Football League to register 500 wins. During that season, they ended up defeating the Atlanta Falcons to clinch the Super Bowl. This was the Patriots 5th Super Bowl and with that their valuation leapt 6%.

7. New York Knicks

League: National Basketball Association
Valuation: $3.3 billion

The first National Basketball Association team on the list, the New York Knicks haven't been playing the best of basketball recently. The New York Knicks haven't won a Division Title since 2013, a Conference Title since 1999 and a Championship since 1973, yet their valuation jumped 10% last year.

8. New York Giants

League: National Football League
Valuation: $3.1 billion

New York Giants have made big strides. Their valuation has jumped 11% to $3.1 billion. Their last major achievement was winning the Super Bowl in 2011.

9. San Francisco 49ers

League: National Football League
Valuation: $3 billion

Like the New York Giants, the San Francisco 49ers' wealth also swelled 11%. The 49ers haven't won a Super Bowl since 1994 and their last playoff appearance was in 2013.

9. Los Angeles Lakers

League: National Basketball Association
Valuation: $3 billion

Only the second basketball team in the top ten, the Los Angeles Lakers wealth also leapt by 11%. The LA Lakers won the Championship in 2009 and 2010 and the Division Title in 2012 but haven't really been performing at the top of their game for a while now. They do hold the record for the longest winning streak in the NBA with a streak of 33 games set during the 1971–72 season.