Deciphering which football team is the best supported is a long-running argument.
Whether it’s attendances inside stadiums or worldwide support, which teams have the most fans is often used as an argument for footballing superiority. Those on the other side of the argument make claims of ‘plastic’ support but huge followings help turn teams into global powers.
Quantifying the exact number of fans for each club is difficult, though social media presence is one tool we can use.
Here are the best supported teams in football based off their total social media followers.
Which football team has the most fans?
5. Juventus – 153m social media followers
Italy’s most decorated club, Juventus have a proud history that includes a record 36 Serie A titles, 15 Coppa Italia triumphs and two European Cup/Champions League wins.
Currently beginning a rebuild under new head coach Thiago Motta, Juventus are aiming to return to the top of European football in the coming seasons.
The Old Lady have had some of football’s finest talent wear the famous black and white stripes, including Michel Platini, Roberto Baggio, Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo. The latter’s arrival from Real Madrid in 2018 saw a surge in social media followers, with Ronaldo the most followed person on Instagram with a whopping 640m followers alone.
4. Paris Saint-Germain – 173.5m social media followers
Paris Saint-Germain’s brand has been built on superstar signings since a transformative takeover of the club. The French side’s history dates back only to 1970, before Qatari investment in 2011 catapulted them into the financial elite.
Since then, PSG have recruited world stars including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, each of whom have contributed to their domestic dominance. PSG have won a record-breaking 12 French titles, all but two of which have come since being purchased by Qatar Sports Investments.
3. Manchester United – 211m social media followers
Manchester United often claim to be the best supported side in world football and have enjoyed that status during parts of their modern history. Currently third for social media following, a decade of decline on the pitch has seen a slight drop in support.
The Red Devils were the early dominant force in the relaunched Premier League, with eyes from all over the world tuning in as Sir Alex Ferguson’s side claimed title after title in the nineties and 2000s. With a rich and romantic history and money-spinning tours to Far East Asia and the USA part of their commercial development, United’s following continued to grow.
2. Barcelona – 330m social media followers
Barcelona sit second on the list, with around 330m followers across their social media platforms.
The Camp Nou has hosted some of football’s all-time greats with six different Ballon d’Or winners having claimed the award in Barcelona colours. Lionel Messi holds the record with eight Ballon d’Or wins and the Argentine’s impact on Barcelona’s modern success – and swell in support – is profound.
Messi scored a record-breaking 672 goals in 778 appearances for Barcelona, cementing his status as arguably the greatest footballer ever. In the age of social media, he’s the most followed South American person on Instagram and second overall.
In fact, the common theme between each team inside this top five is that all have had Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi play for them at some stage…
1. Real Madrid – 383m social media followers
Real Madrid are the best supported team in world football according to social media.
Los Blancos have a long history of prestige, having dominated the early years of the European Cup/Champions League and extending their record to 14 successes in the competition.
Spain’s most successful side with 35 league titles, Real have also become famed for superstar signings since the turn of the century.
Since 2000, Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale all moved to Madrid for world-record fees, in addition to deals for some of the biggest names in the sport in David Beckham and Kylian Mbappe.
The best supported teams in football based on total social media followers.
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Real Madrid – 383m
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Barcelona – 333m
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Manchester United – 211m
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Paris Saint-Germain – 173.5m
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Juventus – 153m
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Manchester City – 150m
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Chelsea – 140m
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Liverpool – 139m
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Bayern Munich – 131m
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Arsenal – 103m
Read – The 10 football clubs with the most trophies won
See more – The most decorated players in football history following Leo Messi’s latest trophy
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