Which football team has the most fans in the world? It's a debate that has raged on for decades now as attendance and global support have become both a stick to beat other clubs with and one used for point scoring.
For some people, clubs with a worldwide fanbase are ‘plastic' and full of ‘glory hunters'; for others, a global fanbase is simply a sign that you are an ‘elite club'. The fickle nature of football supporters has no boundaries and the debate around fan numbers is a prime example of that.
The guide below will provide you with all the information you need to know on which football team has the most fans and end the debate once and for all.
Which football team has the most fans? The top five
1) Real Madrid
Unsurprisingly, Real Madrid are considered to have the most fans in world football. The Spanish giants are the most successful club in European football with 35 league titles and 14 Champions League titles. Their success in the Champions League, a competition that is watched worldwide, has contributed massively to their support. Los Blancos, are they are popularly known, are also regarded as one of the richest football clubs in the world.
Additionally, some of the best and most popular footballers have donned the famous white shirt throughout history including Ronaldo, Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. All of these players and more have helped to boost the popularity of Real Madrid across the planet.
Now, looking at the real stats, especially regarding massive following on social media, Real Madrid have a total of at least 123 Facebook followers. Moreover, they have upwards of 50.5 million followers on Twitter and more than 160 million followers on Instagram. These are massive numbers for a club to have as follows on social platforms.
2) Barcelona
Barcelona are next on the list with their success in the 2010s contributing massively to their following. Across all social media platforms, Barcelona has 330 million followers, around 35m short of their great rivals, Real Madrid.
The Catalan giants have also possessed some of the biggest names in world football at different times including Ronald Koeman, Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi and Neymar. The impact Messi has had on their support over the past 20 years can't be understated and their global support is now there for all to see.
3) Manchester United
Around ten years ago, Manchester United were considered the biggest club on the planet with the most fans across the globe. While they once claimed to have 600 million fans worldwide, these numbers have dipped recently as the club's success on the pitch has dwindled.
The romance around Manchester United is obvious and at their peak, they were a winning machine that would frequently tour Asia and America, picking up more supporters. Sir Alex Ferguson's legacy at the club still lives on and Old Trafford still boasts the highest average attendance in the Premier League by some distance but they will need to start winning major titles again soon if they are to continue to be an international powerhouse.
On social media, Manchester United enjoy a massive following, thanks to at least 63.9 million followers on Instagram, 83 million followers on Faceb0ook and another 37.7 million followers on Twitter.
4) PSG
Unlike other clubs on this list, PSG are not steeped in history. They were only founded in 1970, at which point Real Madrid and Manchester had already won European Cups. Still, they have risen to international prominence since they were purchased by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011.
The club have always had a passionate local following but over the past 13 years, they have expanded and created a huge global fanbase. Players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi have played in Paris recently, which has catapulted their social media following to 183.5m across all platforms.
5) Juventus
Juventus round off the top five, which means the five clubs with the most fans in the world have all had either Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi play for them at some point, which is not a coincidence. Beyond the Ronaldo factor, Juventus have always been a club synonymous with the Champions League – they have finished runners-up more times than any other club
The Old Lady also enjoys a massive social media following across different platforms. For example, there are at least 10 million Juventus followers on Twitter, 47 million followers on Facebook and 60.4 million Instagram followers.
Social media following is an important indicator of just how massive these clubs are and given the millions that check up on these pages almost every day to get up to date with the latest from these clubs, these numbers can only keep growing. We will keep updating these numbers on social media to reflect the reality of the growing support for football clubs like Man United, Juventus, Barcelona, Real Madrid and PSG.