Which football team has the most fans in the world? This debate has raged on for decades, as attendance and global support have become tools for beating other clubs and for scoring points.
For some people, clubs with a worldwide fanbase have ‘plastic' fans and ‘glory hunters'; for others, a global fanbase is simply a sign that you are an ‘elite club'.
The fickle nature of football supporters is unbridled, and the debate over fan numbers is a prime example.
The guide below provides all the information you need to know which football team has the most fans, ending the debate once and for all.
What are the most supported football clubs in the world?
Now, it can be tricky to settle on the most popular football club in the world, especially with elite outfits like Real Madrid, PSG, Manchester United, Juventus, and many others always boasting a huge fanbase. But because the numbers don't lie, we have dug deeper into this topic to unearth some interesting findings.
In compiling this list of the most supported football clubs worldwide, we examined the number of followers on major social media platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok. These numbers are constantly changing, so some clubs are likely to overtake others in our future updates.
1) Real Madrid
- Facebook:127 million
- Instagram:171 million
- X: 52.2 million
- TikTok: 55.1 million
- Total: 505.3 million
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/European Cup titles. Real Madrid's success is hugely attributed to the massive support they receive from fans, noting that they have a massive number of travelling fans, following them everywhere they go.
That notwithstanding, Santiago Bernabeu is always filled to the brim during every home fixture, so it should not be a surprise that the club's tickets are some of the hardest to come by.
Their success in the Champions League, a competition watched worldwide, has contributed massively to their support. Los Blancos, as 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 actual stats, especially regarding massive following on social media, Real Madrid have a total of at least 127 million Facebook followers.
Moreover, they have upwards of 52.2 million followers on X and more than 171 million followers on Instagram. These are massive numbers for a club to have on social platforms.
2) Barcelona
- Facebook: 117 million
- Instagram: 135 million
- X: 49.1 million
- TikTok: 49.6. million
- Total: 350.7 million
Barcelona are next on the list, and their success in the 2010s contributed massively to their following. Across all social media platforms, Barcelona have at least 330 million followers, around 35 million 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.
The LaLiga giants enjoy a massive Facebook following, which currently stands at 177 million, followed by Instagram at 135 million.
3) Manchester United
- Facebook: 84 million
- Instagram: 64.4 million
- X: 38.5 million
- TikTok: 28.5 million
- Total: 212.4 million
Around 10 years ago, Manchester United were considered the biggest club on the planet with the most fans across the globe. While they once claimed 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. At their peak, they were a winning machine that frequently toured 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. However, if they are to continue to be an international powerhouse, they will need to start winning major titles again soon.
Still, even with the recent challenges, the Reds Devils will continue to feature in questions such as which football team has the most fans.
The latest stats show that Man United's following across different social media platforms has steadily increased. Facebook leads the park in Man United's numbers with at least 84 million followed by Instagram with 64.4 million, X and TikTok in that order.
4) PSG
- Facebook: 52 million
- Instagram: 63.7 million
- X: 15.1 million
- TikTok: 42.7 million
- Total: 173.5 million
Unlike other clubs on this list, PSG are not steeped in history. It was only founded in 1970, at which point Real Madrid and Manchester had already won European Cups. Still, it has risen to international prominence since being 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 Messi have played in Paris recently, which has catapulted their social media following to 183.5m across all platforms.
5) Juventus
- Facebook: 47 million
- Instagram: 60.4 million
- X: 10 million
- TikTok: 35.5 million
- Total: 152.9 million
Juventus round off the top five, which means the five clubs with the most fans in the world have all had either Ronaldo or 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 enjoy 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. 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.
6) Manchester City
- Facebook: 51 million
- Instagram: 54.6 million
- X: 17.7 million
- TikTok: 26.9 million
- Total: 150.2 million
Manchester City are currently the most successful club in the world, especially after recent doubles or trebles in European football. City's rise to global prominence has largely been attributed to their success on the pitch. That aside, the fact that the Citizens have attracted some of the best players and continue to do so has earned them great admiration from football lovers.
Manchester City players such as Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish, and Phil Foden, who all enjoy massive social media followings, have contributed to the massive following the Citizens are currently enjoying at home and abroad.
Even more noteworthy is that, in addition to winning trophies and having great players, City's head coach, Pep Guardiola, is regarded as one of the most successful coaches in football history.
With Pep Guardiola at the helm, City are on course to becoming one of the most-crowned clubs in European football. So when it comes to the question of which football team has the most fans, Man City will always be part of the discussion.
7) Chelsea
- Facebook: 55 million
- Instagram: 42.1 million
- X: 25.9 million
- TikTok: 16.9 million
- Total: 139.9 million
Chelsea FC have gained a massive following recently, especially in the 2000s. With that, they always prominently featured in discussions about which football team has the most fans. So while the club's performance has dipped, the Blues boast a massive number of fans. The fact that Chelsea always attracted world-class players, even in 2024/25 means it continues to gain global attention and consequently more followers.
Moreover, Chelsea have been famed for nurturing budding talents. Today, Chelsea are one of the most followed EPL outfits on social media, which is a huge representation of global support. For example, Chelsea currently have 50 million followers on Facebook, 25.8 million followers on X, 42.1 million followers on Instagram and at least 16 million fans on TikTok.
8) Liverpool
- Facebook: 48 million
- Instagram: 45.7 million
- X: 24.5 million
- TikTok: 20.6 million
- Total: 138.8 million
Liverpool‘s popularity has grown over the years. The Reds are among the most popular football clubs in the world today, boasting a massive support base offline and online. With that, the Reds fit the bill and rightly answer the question of which football team has the most fans.
Having the best players over the years has helped Liverpool compete at the top of European football. The club's most recent successes happened under former coach Jurgen Klopp.
So while the German tactician decided to take a break from coaching, his emotional appeal to supporters greatly contributed to Liverpool's growing support base in Europe, the Americas and Africa.
Today, Liverpool enjoy a combined huge following of at least 138 million fans on social media platforms, so the EPL club fits perfectly into the question of which football team has the most fans.
9) Bayern Munich
- Facebook: 61 million
- Instagram: 42.7 million
- X: 7 million
- TikTok: 21.9 million
- Total: 130.8 million
Bayern Munich enjoy a huge following of at least 130 million fans across popular social media platforms. As the most successful Bundesliga club, boasting 33 titles to date, Bayern Munich's support base online and offline can only keep expanding.
The Bundesliga club have had some of the best coaches take charge at the hallowed Allianz Arena. That notwithstanding, having the capacity to attract the best football players has immensely contributed to the club's massive support in Europe and beyond.
Bayern's Facebook following stands at least 61 million. Unfortunately, these numbers have hardly improved since we first published this post on the most supported football clubs in the world. The Bavarians currently have 42.7 million followers on Instagram followed by 21.9 supporters on TikTok.
However, we think they need to put a little more effort into the X platform, where 7 million followers on their official handle put them way behind clubs that do not enjoy as much limelight as the Bundesliga giants.
10) Arsenal
- Facebook: 43 million
- Instagram: 29.8 million
- X: 22.4 million
- TikTok: 7.5 million
- Total: 102.7 million
While Arsenal have enjoyed a great following over the years, we haven't seen that reflect much on social media platforms, especially compared to the stats of other clubs.
The Gunners currently boast at least a combined 102 million followers across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X. The last two EPL seasons, 2022/23 and 2023/24, have proven that Arsenal has a chance to become the next big news in English Football, especially with Mikel Arteta's stewardship.
Moreover, having the loudest fans is not only reserved for Manchester United or Chelsea fans. The Gunners have always proudly spoken about their club. They want to be heard like everyone who supports a big football club.
11) Tottenham Hotspur
- Facebook: 35 million
- Instagram: 17.1 million
- X: 8.8 million
- TikTok: 36.9 million
- Total: 97.8 million
Tottenham have been one of the most consistent teams in the Premier League so the question of which football team has the most fans rightly ropes Spurs into the discussion.
The club has some of the most loyal supporters in world football. Spurs are, without a doubt, among the most popular football clubs in the world today, thanks to their domestic record and experience in European competitions such as the UEFA Champions League.
The London-based club was founded on 5 September 1882. That alone makes it one of the oldest football clubs in the world, so you would imagine the thousands of fans who have stuck with the club since its inception. Nicknamed the Lily Whites, the club is currently coached by Australian tactician Ange Postecoglou.
In the many years that the Spurs have existed, the club has bagged many honours. Apart from being one of the most successful clubs in the Premier League, Spurs enjoy a massive social media following, which ropes in fans from outside England. In particular, 35 million followers on Facebook and another 36.9 million fans on TikTok translate to massive engagement on the aforementioned Spurs platforms.
Tottenham's presence on X is not particularly impressive. Amassing a following of at least 8.8 million means they are on the right track to having massive fans checking on the club's updates on the platform. Moreover, the fact that Spurs have one of the most advanced stadiums in the world today, boasting a massive capacity of 62, 850 means they are not stopping anytime soon, especially when it comes to winning over fans.
12) AC Milan
- Facebook: 28 million
- Instagram: 16.7 million
- X: 8.5 million
- TikTok: 17.1 million
- Total: 70.3 million
AC Milan are the second club from Italy featured in this post on the most followed teams in the world. Founded in 1899, AC Milan have grown by leaps and bounds to become one of the most popular football clubs in the world today.
Interestingly, AC Milan have a larger following than their city rivals Inter Milan, a team with which they share a stadium (San Siro).
A massive following of 70.3 million gives AC Milan bragging rights on social media, where they engage with fans 24/7, not just on match days. Of particular interest is Facebook, which has a fan following of 28 million, closely rivalled by Instagram and TikTok.
Being one of the most successful clubs in Italy, it is no surprise that the Rossoneri enjoy massive support domestically and abroad.
AC Milan have won 19 Serie A titles, the most recent being the 2021/22 season. These achievements on the field have continued to grow massive support worldwide. With that, we expect the numbers on AC Milan's social media pages to keep soaring.
Paulo Fonseca, a 51-year-old Portuguese tactician, currently coaches AC Milan. Fonseca has been in charge of the Rossoneri since the summer of 2024, after switching from French side Lille.
13) Borussia Dortmund
- Facebook: 15 million
- Instagram: 20.7 million
- X: 4.4 million
- TikTok: 13.9 million
- Total: 54 million
Borussia Dortmund are undoubtedly one of the most followed clubs in Germany. Famous for the Yellow Wall, Dortmund's success in German football cannot be understated. The club's ultras have especially played a crucial role in ensuring the club continues to attract a massive following at home and abroad.
With more than a century of history, they have won the Bundesliga title at least eight times and bagged several other honours. Signal Iduna Park, which is the home stadium for Dortmund, adds to the rich football legacy for which the club is known.
The stadium's current capacity is 81,365, making it one of the largest stadiums in the world, and it reflects the massive support the club enjoys at home.
There are at least 15 million Dortmund followers on Facebook, 20 million on Instagram, and 13.9 million on TikTok. These numbers are expected to rise and will continue to shape the club's social media engagement with fans.
An expanding fan base means Dortmund will retain its spot as one of the most-followed clubs in the world.
FGG says: Fan power
It's likely no surprise who sits at the pinnacle of this list, especially considering their storied past. However, the two clubs that truly stand out for their recent achievements are Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Manchester City.
PSG have endeavoured to weave itself into the vibrant culture of Paris, actively engaging with the local youth and even drawing inspiration from the glitz of the NBA. In contrast, Manchester City have forged its impressive reputation solely through exceptional performance on the pitch, rapidly amassing a dedicated global fan base by consistently demonstrating their dominance as one of the premier teams in football.
While legacy sides like AC Milan, Juventus, and even Spurs have maintained strong followings, it will be interesting to see how things maintain in the coming years, especially as football's global audience continues to grow.
A key social battleground will likely come with the World Cup in America, and how that impacts football fans. Especially so for the USA, where the Premier League is already spending significant efforts to gain fans.