UK Exchange newsletter: English football — in a league of its own?
Martin Odegaard lifts the Premier League trophy as Arsenal are crowned champions of the Premier League for the 2025-26 season. This report is from this
Martin Odegaard lifts the Premier League trophy as Arsenal are crowned champions of the Premier League for the 2025-26 season. This report is from this week's CNBC's UK Exchange newsletter. Like what you see? You can subscribe here. As Martin Odegaard, Arsenal's captain, lifted the Premier League trophy at Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park ground in south London on May 24, one could be forgiven for thinking all is well with English football (or soccer...). In winning their first league title in 22 years — and their 14th overall — Arsenal became the third different club to lift the trophy in as many seasons, following Liverpool in 2024-25 and Manchester City in 2023-24.
That highlights a competition that's tougher than Europe's. Spain, the second-richest league after England, remains a duopoly between Barcelona and Real Madrid, who have been champions in 20 of the last 22 seasons. In Germany, Bayern Munich have won 13 of the last 14 seasons, while in France, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have been title-winners in eight of the last nine. Of Europe's top leagues, only Italy's Serie A is as competitive as the Premier League, with four clubs — Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Napoli — winning the title during the last seven years.
English clubs are also thriving in international competitions. Only victory on penalties for PSG against Arsenal in last Saturday's Champions League final prevented an English clean sweep after wins for Aston Villa and Palace in the Europa League and Europa Conference League. Chelsea, meanwhile, are current holders of FIFA's Club World Cup. That may reflect the wealth of English clubs. The Premier League sells its TV rights (both home and overseas) for more than any other football competition, while English clubs took half the places in Deloitte's latest ranking of the world's 30 richest clubs by revenue, with the relatively unheralded AFC Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion all making the list.
Yet scratch beneath the surface and all is not as good as it looks for England's football industry, with a growing number of top players now plying their trade abroad, among them England captain Harry Kane. Following last week's sale of winger Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United to Barcelona, six of England's squad for the forthcoming World Cup now play for foreign clubs.
The BriefWire