The four big technology companies – Apple, Microsoft, Google and Amazon – maintain leadership in the Brand Finance Global 500 ranking, but the changes in the top ten brands on the list reflect a paradigm shift characterized by the race for artificial intelligence and a shift in the territory of social networks.
This year’s report highlights the positive performance of Spanish brands
On this occasion, the list published by the consulting firm points to a positive performance of Spanish brands, and more specifically, that of Mercadona. The supermarket chain has taken tenth position in the ranking of the strongest brands in the world, becoming the first Spanish brand to achieve this.
For its part, BBVA has been the tenth fastest growing brand among the 500 most valuable brands in the world.
It is worth remembering that the Brand Finance report, published annually, financially evaluates and values 6,000 of the world’s most important brands. Brand value is understood as the net economic benefit that the owner would obtain by licensing it on the market; and by brand strength to the effectiveness of its performance in intangible indicators -related to perception and consideration- in comparison with its competitors.
The most valuable brands in the world
According to data shared by the consulting firm, Apple maintains its position as the most valuable brand in the world, with a value of 526,704 million euros (607,600 million dollars). The figure represents a growth of 6% compared to that obtained in the 2025 report, which stood at 515,278 million euros.
Brand Finance attributes the positive progress to growth in advertising, cloud services and the App Store, as well as constant demand in America, Europe and Asia Pacific.
For its part, Microsoft repeats its second place on the list, but considerably narrows the gap with respect to Apple. On this occasion, the company has obtained a brand value of 489,958 million euros (565,200 million dollars), which reflects an increase of 23%.
The consulting firm points out that the performance is related to Microsoft’s role in the development of artificial intelligence for the business environment and its cloud infrastructure services.
The podium is completed by Google, which this time achieves a brand value of 375,389 million euros (433,100 million dollars), thanks to an increase of 5%.
The consulting firm highlights the company’s central role in the digital economy through its positioning in online search, digital advertising and cloud services, as well as investments and developments in AI.
Amazon is in fourth place, with a 4% increase in its brand value to 320,609 million euros ($369,900 million).
Regarding the top 10 most valuable brands in the world, Brand Finance highlights the growth of Nvidia, which has reached 110% and has raised its brand value to 159.77 billion euros (184.3 billion dollars). The main reason, as the consulting firm points out, is found in its role in the development of the global AI infrastructure.
The company has surpassed more established companies in brand value, such as TikTok, which has experienced a growth of 45% and has reached a value of 133,092 million euros. It has also positioned itself above Walmart (122,206 million euros); Samsung (103,338 million euros) and Facebook (92,800 million euros).
The top 10 is completed by the Chinese electricity company State Grid Corporation of China, with a value of 88,796 million euros.
Beyond the top brands in the ranking, it is worth noting the performance of Revolut, which has tripled its value, going from $1.9 billion in the 2025 report to $6.6 billion today. It has become the fastest growing brand thanks to a 239% increase that has earned it position 391 on the list.
On the other hand, Tesla is the star of the most notable decline, with a loss in value of -36%, to $27.6 billion. It is the biggest drop among the 500 most valuable brands in the world and is due to growing competition in motorsport, price pressure and reputational challenges.
Spanish companies on the list of the most valuable brands in the world
According to the Brand Finance report, the Spanish presence in this edition of the ranking is concentrated in Santander, Zara, BBVA, CaixaBank, Mercadona, Movistar, Iberdrola and Mapfre. These are the same ones that were part of the previous study, but to which is added the insurance company, which enters the list for the first time.
Mercadona has achieved tenth position with a score of 93.1 out of 100
The consulting firm highlights the performance of BBVA, which stands out as the tenth fastest growing brand among the 500 most valuable brands in the world, and the third fastest growing in the banking sector worldwide. Its brand value has increased by 58%, to 13.1 billion euros, rising 84 places in the ranking.
Santander, for its part, maintains the title of the most valuable Spanish brand in the world. It rises 20 places to position 73 thanks to a 23% increase in its brand value, which stands at 24.2 billion euros. For its part, CaixaBank has risen 39 places to 290th place, and increased its brand value by 18%, to 7.6 billion euros.
The consulting firm highlights the arrival of Mapfre to the list of the 500 most valuable brands in the world. It has obtained a brand value of 4.6 billion euros, which places it in position 485.
The strongest brands in the world
In addition to calculating their value, the Brand Finance report also determines the relative strength of the brands. In this regard, YouTube has become the strongest brand in the world, with a score of 95.3 out of 100 and rising from the eighth place achieved in 2025. The consultancy highlights the platform as one of the main destinations for entertainment, learning and community creation.
YouTube has ousted the Chinese WeChat, which had occupied first place on the list in the 2024 and 2025 reports. In its second position, it has obtained a score of 95.1 out of 100. In terms of brand value, it has increased by 46% and has taken 32nd place on the list, reaching 48.1 billion dollars.
For its part, Microsoft is positioned as the third strongest brand in the world with a score of 94.7 out of 100, which places it above Google, which in this edition of the report occupies fourth place.
It should be noted that, for the first time, a Spanish brand enters the top 10 of the strongest brands in the world. This is Mercadona, which has achieved tenth position with a score of 93.1 out of 100. In terms of value, it has risen 50 places on this year’s list, increasing its brand value by 22% to 7.3 billion euros.
