SWOT Analysis
Strengths:
- Valuation: Valued at $6.55B, Manchester United is the second most valuable club in the world and the most valuable club in the English Premier League (Ozanian & Teitelbaum, 2024)
- Legacy: Man United is the most successful club in English football history, having won a record 20 Premier League titles, 13 FA cups and 3 UEFA Champions League titles along with some of the greatest players in footballing history having played for the club
- Global Brand Recognition: Man United is one of the most recognizable and iconic football clubs in the world. It is also among the most supported teams, with 1.1 billion fans and followers internationally
- Youth Development: Man Utd has an exceptional track record with youth academy players, having named at least one homegrown player in the first-team squad since 1937, a Premier League rarity (Anka, 2024)
- INEOS Investment: Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS acquired a 27.7% stake in 2024, bringing in new capital to the club to potentially turn club assets and operations around positively, including a building a new stadium
Weaknesses:
- Underperformance: After the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, the club has delivered inconsistent performances and failed to live up to past successes, having not won a title since 2012 and are on track for their lowest finish in the Premier League era this season
- Wage Structure: Man United has a top 3 wage bill in the Premier League, but a negative wage-to-performance ratio, with many high-earning players performing poorly (Railston, 2025)
- Fan Discontent: Fans have grown increasingly frustrated with the current club ownership. Thousands of fans have protested the club’s poor financial and asset mismanagement, leading to high debt (Kay, 2025)
- Turnover: High player, leadership and staff turnover caused by unstable management have created an uneven and toxic club culture (Mendola, 2024) (Roan, 2025)
- Financial Losses: Man Utd have had five years of losses and are struggling to return to profitability. The club recently laid off 200 employees (Stone & Collins, 2025)
Opportunities:
- Premier League Growth: Interest and investment in Premier League football has grown over the past two decades. The Premier League renewed its U.S. broadcasting deal with NBC, delivering six most-viewed Premier League games in U.S. history over the past two years (Crafton, 2024) and Premier League teams play in preseason exhibition games in the U.S.
- Women’s Football Investment: Interest in women’s sports is on the rise and especially women’s football, which holds the highest potential for growth, including in sponsorship and revenue (Deloitte, 2025)
- Changing Sports Consumption: The way fans are consuming sports is evolving, including greater emphasis on direct-to-consumer matches and exclusive content from club-owned media
- 2026 FIFA World Cup: The next World Cup will feature top players from football clubs around the world, presenting an opportunity to promote club players on an international scale to new audiences
- Growing Soccer Fandom: First-time football fans in the U.S. are up 400% year-over-year, with fans already exposed to the NWSL, Leo Messi, the World Cup and the Olympics (Carosella, 2024)
Threats:
- Competition: 20 English teams compete for the Premier League title and 36 international teams compete in the Champions League (an expanded number), making the road to victory challenging
- Increasing Transfer Fees: Player wages and transfer fees league-wide and sport-wide for elite players have grown exponentially. Competitors with superior financial resources, including state-backed clubs like Manchester City, can outbid teams for high-caliber players (Sport Resolutions, 2025)
- Financial Regulation: UEFA’s Financial Fair Play, UEFA’s financial sustainability regulations to prevent “doping” in football, regulates how much a club can spend and limits excess spending
- Saudi Pro League: Football in Saudi Arabia has poached elite players due to the league’s ability to offer unmatched transfer fees and salaries
- Top Team Dominance: Teams like Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich who have dominated international and club football for the past decade have greater appeal for elite players, creating challenges to acquire talent for smaller clubs
*Not affiliated with Manchester United. All content was created for the 2025 Spring Comprehensive Exam at USC Annenberg.