10 highest paid sports teams in the world

#2 Real Madrid

SD Eibar v Real Madrid CF - La Liga

Previous rank: 9th (worldwide)

Average annual salary: £8.09 million ($10.3 million)

Highest-paid player: Gareth Bale (£18.2 million)

Real Madrid's fortunes have seen a downturn over the course of the 2018-19 European football season. While it was understandable that they'd slump a bit following the departure of their talisman in Cristiano Ronaldo, they have been abysmal on both ends of the ball and are gasping for life in the race for Champions League berths in La Liga while being completely out of contention for the title barely 3 months into the new season.

Rumours linking them to the likes of Neymar and Eden Hazard aside, Los Blancos need to find their top gear as a team in the aftermath of Julen Lopetegui's firing. New head coach Solari hasn't had much of an impact so far, and it is really up to the players themselves to take the club back to the hitherto-unforeseen heights it reached over the past 3 seasons under Zinedine Zidane.