If you’re a soccer fanatic, you’ve probably wondered what the biggest soccer fans in the world are, or what the biggest soccer fans in the world are, right? Well, today we’re going to put everything we know about the subject into practice to help you satisfy your curiosity. Come with us! ⚽️
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Who is be the biggest soccer fans in the world in 2024?
Actually, the answer to that question is not so simple.
Flamengo, one of Brazil’s most popular soccer clubs, is repeatedly cited as having one of the biggest crowds in the world.
However, it’s difficult to accurately assess which team has the largest soccer fan base in the world, as this can depend on the criteria used or the definition of “fan base”.
For example, if we take the number of Real Madrid followers on Instagram and compare it to Flamengo’s, the Spanish club has an advantage of over 60 million users.
Now, if we take as a basis some surveys carried out in recent years, Manchester United, Barcelona and Flamengo take turns among the teams with the biggest soccer fans in the world.
Ready to find out about the biggest soccer fans in the world? First, let’s look at the criteria!
Ranking criteria for the biggest fans in the world
To find out once and for all which are the biggest fans in the world, we can consider a few criteria:
Number of fans
Demographic data taken from surveys carried out by respected institutes can be a parameter. However, this indicator usually only tells us the number of fans of that club in their country.
Number of followers on social media
Beyond borders, social networks allow us to get a broader idea of the number of fans. However, it’s worth noting that there are inactive or fake profiles that can mask this data somewhat.
Attendance at matches
Attendance at home games, like our first criterion, is an indicator that only gives us a national figure for the number of spectators, but it can also be used for ranking.
Biggest soccer fans in the world: the teams with the most followers
As we said earlier, knowing exactly which is the biggest soccer fan base in the world is not so simple. So let’s break it down: it’s time to find out which 20 teams have the biggest fanbases on Instagram! 👇
1- Real Madrid (Spain) – 154 million followers
The Madrid club, founded in 1902 and protagonist of the El Clásico alongside Barcelona, is the champion of followers on Instagram with more than 150 million fans.
The rivalry between these two giants is full of important chapters and goes far beyond the pitch, but that’s a topic for another day, isn’t it?
2- Barcelona (Spain) – 126 million followers
As well as being the other main player in the Spanish derby, the Catalan team is just behind the Merengues when it comes to the biggest soccer fans in the world: there are more than 120 million Culés following Barça on Instagram.
The city of Barcelona is located in the region of Catalonia, known for having its own language and culture that is different from Spain. That’s why cheering for Barça is a passion that transcends sport, for Catalans it’s a political act.
3- Paris Saint-Germain (France) – 64.9 million followers
France’s only representative in this top 20, Paris Saint-Germain, affectionately known as PSG, is up for the bronze medal with almost 65 million fans on its Instagram.
Recent spells at the club with big-name players such as Messi and Neymar have helped propel the French team to the top of this list, yes or no?
4- Manchester United (England) – 63.5 million followers
Originally founded as “Newton Heath LYR Football Club” in 1878, today’s Manchester United take fourth place in our ranking of the world’s biggest soccer fans.
A curious fact is that the team wore the colors green and yellow until 1902 when it was renamed Manchester United.
5- Juventus (Italy) – 60.3 million followers
Just behind the Red Devils is the Old Lady of Del Piero, Buffon and a host of other stars: Juventus from Turin represent the Italians on the list with an enviable 60.3 million followers.
Do you know why Juve is nicknamed the Old Lady? Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t refer to the age of the club, but to the prestige and tradition it has earned in Italian soccer.
6- Manchester City (England) – 52 million followers
Manchester United’s newly-badged countryman Manchester City is ahead of more traditional clubs in the list of the world’s biggest soccer fans.
The northern club is in sixth place! Attending a City game at the Etihad Stadium is guaranteed to send shivers down the spine: the fans chant their version of the classic “Blue Moon” to inspire the players at every match.
7- Liverpool (England) – 45 million followers
And speaking of goosebumps…
With the most rabid fans in the country, Liverpool is the third English club in the top 10!
The Reds, from the land of the Beatles, have been around since 1892 and are known for leading England’s biggest derby alongside Manchester United.
The matches at Anfield Road are electrifying: there’s singing from start to finish. Among their most famous songs is the memorable “You’ll Never Walk Alone”.
8- Chelsea (England) and Bayern Munich (Germany) – 41.7 million followers
Tied in eighth place, Londoners Chelsea and Bavarians Bayern make up our super list with over 41 million followers.
The clubs are only 5 years apart in terms of foundation, but it’s the Germans who have the edge on Instagram: they have more than 60 top-flight titles, while Chelsea have just 25.
It has to be said that Bayern’s tradition began in the 60s and 70s, with the emergence of the legendary Franz Beckenbauer.
It wasn’t until 2003, when millionaire Roman Abramovich bought the English team, that the Blues began to see better days.
9- Arsenal (England) – 29 million followers
Another Englishman on the list of the biggest soccer fans in the world: the Gunners. Straight from the capital, Arsenal occupy our ninth position with almost 30 million fans.
Fans who must be impatient, because since “The Invincibles”, the champions of the 2003/04 season, the reds of London haven’t lifted the Premier League trophy…
10- Borussia Dortmund (Germany) – 19.8 million followers
European hegemony continues with tenth-placed BVB, or Borussia Dortmund. The Germans, who have produced promising players such as Bellingham (Real Madrid) and Haaland (Man City), are in tenth place in the race for the world’s biggest soccer fans.
11- Flamengo (Brazil) – 19.3 million followers
It’s from Brazil! The internationally known club from Rio has secured our first place on the list with 19.3 million followers.
The Mengão fans are courageous: in response to the racist insults that other fans were hurling, a group of four Flamenguistas decided to release a vulture with a club flag during the derby against Botafogo in June 1969.
Flamengo won that match and never let go of their vulture mascot.
12- Tottenham Hotspur (England) – 16.9 million followers
Back in the land of the king, another London club takes its place among the world’s giants: Spurs – a nickname that came from the abbreviation of “Hotspur” – with Richarlison, Son and co, take twelfth place here.
Quite an achievement for a team with little tradition, isn’t it?
13- Atlético de Madrid (Spain) – 16.8 million followers
Close, huh? With just 100,000 fewer followers than Tottenham, Atlético de Madrid, or Atleti to the intimate, come in as the third and final Spanish representative among the world’s biggest soccer fans with 16.8 million.
Did you know that despite not being called Real, Atlético Madrid is the team of the Spanish royal family? King Filipe VI and his predecessor, Juan Carlos, are fans of the club.
14- Milan (Italy) – 16 million followers
Maldini, Shevchenko, Kaká and even Ronaldinho Gaúcho: the traditional Italian club Milan takes fourteenth place for the joy of the Milanese.
In the 1970s and 1980s, radical groups emerged from within the fanbase – we could call them hooligans – such as Curva Sud, which carried out several episodes of violence, damaging the image of the Rossoneri fans.
15- Galatasaray (Turkey) – 15.1 million followers
A surprise in the list, Turkish side Galatasaray enter the list of the 20 biggest soccer fans in the world in fifteenth place!
The team’s fanatical supporters made their mark on soccer history after a UEFA Champions League match against Manchester United in 1993.
Upon landing in Istanbul, the English team were met with hundreds of Turks shouting and throwing objects at them.
But it didn’t stop there: they stayed in front of United’s hotel overnight, making sure the team lost no sleep before the big game. There were expulsions, fights, arrests… And all the madness worked: Galatasaray qualified.
16- Inter Milan (Italy) – 11.4 million followers
Behind their biggest rivals, 19-time Italian League champions Inter are in sixteenth place. Despite “losing” on Instagram, on the pitch Inter have beaten Milan 21 times, while their opponents have won just 10 matches in Italy’s fashion capital.
17- Corinthians (Brazil) – 11.3 million followers
There’s more Brazil in there: the Itaquera club is seventeenth among the most-followed teams on the planet. There are more than 11 million “faithful” on the Team of the People’s Instagram profile.
By the way, do you know why Corinthians is called the The People’s Team? The team has always been associated with the working classes, an identity that has only developed over the years since the club was founded in 1910.
18- Al Ahly (Egypt) – 10.8 million followers
Egyptians are passionate about soccer too! The land of the pyramids that revealed Mohamed Salah has Al Ahly as its only representative among the world’s biggest soccer fans.
19- Fenerbahce (Turkey) – 9.9 million followers
Who remembers Alex? The former player beloved in Brazil by fans of Coritiba, Palmeiras and Cruzeiro made his career with Fenerbahçe, our eighteenth club with the biggest fan base on the net!
20- Boca Juniors (Argentina) – 9.3 million followers
Our Hermanos make it into the top 20 with Boca Juniors. Maradona’s team has 9.3 million followers around the world. I’m sure they would have liked to have been seventh…
Why? Boca fans became obsessed with the number 7 because of several coincidences in last year’s Libertadores:
- The coach at the time was called Almirón. His name has 7 letters.
- Boca scored 12 goals in that Libertadores and conceded 5. The club’s goal difference was 7.
- The last time Boca won the Libertadores was in 2007. Also about a Brazilian tricolor team.
- Boca’s goalkeeper saved 7 penalties in normal time.
- The Libertadores final falls on 4/11. 11 minus 4 equals 7.
- 2023 was the year of the final against Fluminense. 2+0+2+3 = 7.
List of the biggest soccer fans in the world in 2024
- Real Madrid – 154 million followers
- Barcelona – 126 million followers
- Paris Saint-Germain – 64.9 million followers
- Manchester United – 63.5 million followers
- Juventus – 60.3 million followers
- Manchester City – 52 million followers
- Liverpool – 45 million followers
- Chelsea and Bayern Munich – 41.7 million followers
- Arsenal – 29 million followers
- Borussia Dortmund – 19.8 million followers
- Flamengo – 19.3 million followers
- Tottenham Hotspur – 16.9 million followers
- Atlético de Madrid – 16.8 million followers
- Milan – 16 million followers
- Galatasaray – 15.1 million followers
- Inter Milan – 11.4 million followers
- Corinthians – 11.3 million followers
- Al Ahly – 10.8 million followers
- Fenerbahce – 9.9 million followers
- Boca Juniors – 9.3 million followers
What is the biggest soccer fan base in the world outside of Instagram?
One of the curiosities of the world’s biggest fans is that they change, as we said at the beginning of the text, depending on your criteria for analysis. However, one thing is certain: all sources differ when it comes to the list.
According to surveys carried out in 2023, the list of the 20 biggest soccer fans in the world looks like this:
20. Fenerbahce (Turkey) – 14.7 million fans
19. Galatasaray (Turkey) – 15.1 million fans
18. Cruz Azul (Mexico) – 16 million fans
17. Boca Juniors (Argentina) – 16.4 million fans
16. São Paulo (Brazil) – 16.8 million fans
15. Milan (Italy) – 18.4 million fans
14. Juventus (Italy) – 19 million fans
13. Schalke 04 (Germany) – 19 million fans
12. Liverpool (England) – 20 million fans
11. Arsenal (England) – 20.3 million fans
10. Bayern Munich (Germany) – 20.7 million fans
9. Chelsea (England) – 21.4 million fans
8. Borussia Dortmund (Germany) – 23 million fans
7. América (Mexico) – 26.4 million fans
6. Manchester United (England) – 30.6 million fans
5. Real Madrid (Spain) – 31.3 million fans
4. Corinthians (Brazil) – 32.2 million fans
3. Club Deportivo Guadalajara “Chivas” (Mexico) – 33.8 million fans
2. Flamengo (Brazil) – 42 million fans
1. Barcelona (Spain) – 57.8 million fans
Largest soccer fan base in South America
The team with the biggest fanbase in South America, both on Instagram and off, is Flamengo.
Largest soccer fan base in North America
Club Deportivo Guadalajara “Chivas” is the team with the largest soccer fan base in North America, according to surveys carried out in 2023. On Instagram, the game changes a little: Messi’s Inter Miami appears at the top of the list.
Biggest soccer fans in Europe
Barcelona is the team with the most fans on the Old Continent. On Instagram, their rivals Real Madrid win the match.
Biggest soccer fans in Asia
Turkey’s Galatasaray are the team with the most followers on Instagram and also the biggest fans in Asia.
Biggest soccer fans in Oceania
New Zealand’s Auckland City FC has the largest fan base on the continent. But on Instagram, Wellington Phoenix FC is the leader.
Biggest soccer fans in Africa
Al Ahly SC, from Egypt, is known for having the biggest soccer fans on the African continent, both on and off the net.
Biggest soccer crowd in Brazil: Flamengo vs Corinthians
Shall we end this debate once and for all? The AtlasIntel Institute has released an updated ranking of the biggest soccer fans in Brazil and if you shouted “É DO MENGÃO!”, congratulations.
The survey, which has a 95% reliability rate, was carried out between April 6 and 20, 2023 and heard from 1,600 people over the age of 16, from 640 Brazilian municipalities.
According to the survey, Rubro-Negro has 46.9 million fans, approximately 22% of the population who support a team.
Corinthians, with 30.4 million and 13.9%, took silver. The podium also includes the São Paulo tricolor, São Paulo, with 21.2 million fans and 9.9%.
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