FC Barcelona has received a major financial boost as its economic outlook shifts to positive, signaling a bright future.
FC Barcelona has been on a financial rollercoaster for years, lurching from its gargantuan debt of over €1.3 billion to operating under strict financial control through La Liga’s salary cap restrictions, having been unable to register some signings last summer, showing just how bad things were.
Under the leadership of President Joan Laporta, the club was working hard to cut staff costs, receive concessions from their players on the agreed wages, while also generating income off the park, like selling VIP seats (for €100 million) for the expected future Spotify Camp Nou.
Beyond this hard work, they also performed on the pitch thanks to Hansi Flick and created a position to reinvent a better, positive financial future.
Marca reports that the credit rating agency updated the credit outlook of Barcelona from “stable” to “positive” and maintained a BBB rating.
The “positive” assessment was drawn upon the club’s notable improvements in terms of financial performance over the last two seasons, and the prospect of revenue streams growing stronger, particularly bearing in mind the estimated return to the newly drained Spotify Camp Nou in 2025–26.
Morningstar is predicting revenue may be as high as €1.1 billion per season by 2027, provided La Liga & Champions League success continue.
The upgrade provides some reassurance around Barcelona’s ability to generate free cash flow and subsequently pay down debt, increasing the options it has in the transfer market.
The upgrade has reinforced Barcelona’s desire to attract players like Nico Williams or Luis Diaz; however, our valuation approach, which looks closely at the decision matrix regarding overt financial discipline, ultimately suggests it is a marginal upgrade.
Morningstar remarks that if financial decisions are made aggressively, then they would be prepared to revise their outlook to stable again.
It is expected as Barcelona continues to balance sporting success with sustained economic recovery, this would be a significant milestone on the road to being global football heavyweights again.
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